PI,  A  NT    OF    KENTUCKY   TOBACCO 

From  a  Sketch  by   TT,  A.  Brennan 


TOBACCO  LEAVES 

BEING 

A  BOOK  OF  FACTS 
FOR  SMOKERS 


BY 

W.  A.  BRENNAN 

Department  ol  Medical  Sciences 
The  John  Crerar  Library 


PUBLISHED   FOR 

Index  Office,  Inc. 

BY 

(Die  Collegiate  ^f  ress 

GEORGE  BANTA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

MENASHA,  WISCONSIN 

1915 


First  issue 
December,  1915 


Copyright  1915 

by 
W.  A.  BEEN  NAN 


B? 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 7 

CHAPTER  I 11 

Historical,  Botanical. 

CHAPTER  II 19 

The  Cultivation  of  the  Tobacco  Plant. 
Climatic  and  soil  conditions — Treatment 
of   the    growing   plant — Shade    grown 
tobacco — Harvesting. 

CHAPTER  III 29 

Production  of  Tobacco. 

Countries  which  produce  tobacco  and 
amount — Production  in  the  New  World 
other  than  in  the  United  States — 
Varieties. 

CHAPTER  IV 39 

Production  of  Tobacco  in  the  United  States. 

Total  production — Amount  produced  by 

the   different  States — Varieties   raised 

— Description  of  the  different  varieties. 

CHAPTER  V 53 

The  Chemical  Composition  of  the  Tobacco 

Plant. 

Organic  and  inorganic  matters  contained 
in  tobacco  and  the  part  they  play — An- 
alysis of  various  tobaccos — Nicotine. 

CHAPTER  VI 61 

The  Curing  of  Tobacco  Leaf. 
Objects  of  curing — Methods. 


331634 


CHAPTER  VII 67 

The  Marketing  and  Sale  of  Tobacco  Leaf. 

Methods  of  disposal  by  the  grower — The 
warehouse  system — Direct  purchase — 
Principal  markets  in  the  United  States 
— Prices. 

CHAPTER  VIII 75 

Rehandling  and  Fermentation  of   Tobacco 
Leaf  Prior  to  Manufacture. 

Selection  of  leaf — Treatment  and  blend- 
ing— Objects  and  methods  of  manu- 
facturers fermentation  —  Action  of 
microbes. 

CHAPTER  IX        .  x 88 

Manufactured  Products  of  Tobacco  in  the 
United  States. 

Statistics  of  production  and  consumption 
Amount  of  capital  invested — Number 
of  plants,  etc. 

CHAPTER  X 93 

Cigars:  Historical  and  General  Facts. 

History — Statistical  information  regard- 
ing the  cigar  business  in  the  United 
States. 

CHAPTER  XI 99 

Cigars  and  Their  Qualities. 

Qualities  of  cigars  and  cigar  leaf — Im- 
ported cigars  —  Havanas  —  Domestic 
cigars. 


CHAPTER  XII Ill 

Cigar  Making. 

Hand-made  cigars — Machine-made  cigars 
— Classification  of  cigars — Terms  used 
in  the  cigar  trade. 

CHAPTER  XIII 121 

Pipe  Smoking  and  Chewing  Tobacco. 

Qualities  required— Description  of  kinds 
Perique  tobacco — Statistics. 

CHAPTER  XIV 131 

Cigarettes. 

Statistics — Kinds  and  where  made — Im- 
ported cigarettes — Domestic  cigarettes 
— Cigarette  papers. 

CHAPTER  XV 143 

Snuff. 

How  made — Qualities — Description  of 
kinds. 

CHAPTER  XVI 149 

Tobacco  Smoking  Pipes. 

History — How  made  and  materials  used 
in  making — Meerschaum — Briar  root — 
Amber — Special  kinds  of  pipes — Care 
of  pipes. 

CHAPTER  XVII •    .      .      .      .171 

Effects  of  Tobacco  Smoking  on  the  Human 
System. 

Physical  and  other  effects — Opinions  of 
medical  men  quoted  and  discussed. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 195 

The  Beneficial  Effects  of  Tobacco. 

Its  disinfecting  action  —  A  protection 
against  infectious  disease  —  Psycho- 
logical effects  of  smoking. 

CHAPTER  XIX 207 

Miscellaneous. 

Revenue,  taxation,  etc.,  in  connection  with 
tobacco  —  Free^  imports  —  The  insect 
pests  which  attack  tobacco  —  Tobacco 
flavoring  fluids,  etc.  —  Formulae. 


INTRODUCTION 

This  little  book  is  intended  for  the  man  who 
uses  tobacco.  While  there  is  a  very  extensive 
literature  concerning  tobacco,  yet  it  is  sur- 
prising how  few  books  there  are  written  express- 
ly for  the  smoker.  Much  has  been  written 
concerning  culture,  production  and  manufac- 
ture; the  historical  and  anecdotal  aspects  have 
been  catered  for ;  pamphlets  and  books  abusing 
and  denouncing  the  use  of  tobacco  are  plenti- 
ful; but  the  smoker  will  find  it  difficult  to  get 
a  book  just  giving  him  the  facts  concerning 
tobacco  and  smoking,  which  he  ought  to  know, 
and  omitting  matters,  which,  although  interest- 
ing, are  not  necessary.  This  little  book  is  an 
attempt  to  fulfil  that  purpose;  and  it  is  felt 
that  no  apology  is  needed  for  its  appearance. 
If  the  average  user  of  tobacco  is  questioned 
concerning  the  matters  treated  in  the  following 
pages,  he  will  be  found  ignorant  of  them.  This 
ought  not  be  so.  The  custom  of  tobacco  smok- 
ing is  so  general  and  so  intimate  a  part  of  the 
daily  life  of  the  great  majority  of  men,  that  a 
better  acquaintance  with  the  plant,  its  qualities, 
uses  and  effects,  should  be  cultivated  and  wel- 
comed. 

No  claim  is  made  for  originality.  The  facts 
here  stated  have  been  gathered  from  various 

7 


sources  and  the  only  credit  claimed  is  for  put- 
ting them  together  in  a  concise  and  consecutive 
form.  The  object  aimed  at  is  to  give  informa- 
tion. Whether  the  custom  of  tobacco  smoking 
is  desirable,  whether  in  any  individual  case  it 
would  be  beneficial  or  otherwise  to  smoke — these 
and  similar  questions  are  left  to  the  reader's 
own  judgment  from  the  facts  and  opinions  pre- 
sented, as  well  as  from  his  own  observations. 
The  man  who  uses  tobacco  daily  should  know 
what  he  is  doing.  If  statements  are  made  either 
verbally  or  in  print  concerning  the  custom  he 
should  be  able  to  verify  them  or  show  that  they 
are  incorrect.  It  is  trusted  that  the  informa- 
tion given  in  these  pages  will  enable  him  to 
form  a  clear  judgment  whatever  the  judgment 
may  be. 

It  may  be  felt  that  many  aspects  of  the  use 
of  tobacco  and  matters  connected  with  it  have 
either  not  been  touched  on,  or  only  referred  to 
very  briefly.  The  reader  who  may  desire  fur- 
ther information  will  find  it  in  the  bibliographi- 
cal references  given  throughout  the  book.  These 
references  have  generally  been  consulted  by 
the  author  and  his  indebtedness  is  acknowl- 
edged here. 


To  MY  WIFE 


CHAPTER  I 

HISTORICAL— BOTANICAL 


11 


HISTORICAL 

The  history  of  tobacco  commences  with  the 
discovery  of  the  New  World  by  Columbus.  The 
Chinese  claim  that  it  was  known  and  used  by 
them  much  earlier,  but  there  appears  to  be  no 
evidence  to  support  this  claim.  Columbus  found 
the  natives  of  Cuba  smoking  the  dried  leaves, 
and  his  followers  are  said  to  have  brought  the 
plant  to  Spain  about  1512.  Oviedo  published 
a  book  entitled  La  Hist  or  la  general  de  las 
Indias  in  Seville  in  1526,  in  which  he  mentions 
pipe  smoking.  It  may  be  inferred  that  this 
custom  was  well  established  in  Spain  then. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  is  usually  credited  with  hav- 
ing brought  tobacco  to  England  for  the  first 
time  from  Virginia  in  1586;  and  the  Virginian 
Colonists  are  known  to  have  cultivated  the  plant' 
at  that  time;  but  there  is  evidence  enough  to 
show  that  Sir  Francis  Drake  was  the  first  to 
introduce  the  plant  into  England.  Drake's 
voyages  were  made  between  1570  and  1580  and 
he  brought  the  plant  with  him  in  one  of  these. 
Some  give  the  date  of  introduction  by  Drake  as 
1560.  Raleigh  was,  however,  probably  the  first 
English  distinguished  smoker,  and  he  cultivated 
the  plant  on  his  estate  at  Youghal,  Ireland. 
There  is  no  doubt  about  the  culture  of  tobacco 
by  the  early  English  Colonists  in  the  U.  S., 

13 


but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  plant  was  in- 
troduced by  them  from  England  or  whether 
they  continued  a  culture  learned  from  the  Na- 
tives. From  Virginia  it  spread  to  the  other 
colonies.  In  Peru  and  other  parts  of  South 
America  the  growing  of  tobacco  was  well  es- 
tablished at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Conquest. 

In  1560  Jean  Nicot,  the  French  Ambassador 
at  Lisbon,  sent  some  tobacco  to  Catherine  de 
Medici  as  a  cure  for  headache.  Catherine  was 
pleased  with  it  and  is  said  to  have  become  quite 
addicted  to  its  use.  Tobacco  was  designated 
the  "Queen's  herb"  and  the  "Sovereign  herb" 
from  this  circumstance  and  Nicot  himself  is 
perpetuated  in  the  word  "Nicotine"  and  its 
derivatives. 

Many  persons  erroneously  give  credit  to 
Nicot  for  the  introduction  of  tobacco  into 
Europe.  It  is  quite  clear,  however,  from 
Oviedo's  book,  quoted  above,  that  the  plant 
was  known  in  Spain  very  much  earlier;  and  it 
is  most  probable  that  the  immediate  followers 
of  Columbus  brought  samples  of  the  leaves  and 
pipes  back  to  Spain  with  them.  Moveover,  in 
1558,  Phillip  II  of  Spain  sent  Francisco  Her- 
nandez, a  physician,  to  investigate  the  re- 
sources, etc.,  of  Mexico,  and  on  his  return  he 
brought  back  tobacco  as  one  of  the  products, 
and  grew  it  as  a  drug.  From  Spain  and  Eng- 

14 


land,  the  use  of  tobacco  spread  by  degrees  all 
over  the  known  world. 

REFERENCES 

PENN,  W.  A.  The  Soverane  Herbe;  a  history  of 
Tobacco.  Chapters  I,  II.  London  and  New 
York,  1901. 

BOUANT,  E.  Le  Tdbac;  culture  et  Industrie. 
Paris,  1901. 

SHEW,  JOEL.  Tobacco;  its  history,  nature  and  ef- 
fects on  the  body  and  mind.  Wortley,  1876. 

BILLINGS,  E.  R.  Tobacco;  its  history,  varieties, 
culture,  etc.  Chapters  II,  IV.  Hartford,  Conn., 
1895. 

COMES,  O.  Histoire,  geographic,  statistique  du 
Tabac.  Son  introduction  et  son  expansion  dans 
tous  les  pays  depuis  son  origine  jusqu*  a  la  fin 
du  XIX  siecle.  Naples,  1900. 

FAIRHOLT,  F.  W.  Tobacco;  its  history  and  associa- 
tions. London,  1876. 

WOLF,  JAKOB.  Der  Tabak  und  die  Tabakfabrikate. 
Chapter  I.  Leipzig,  1912. 

BOTANICAL 

Tobacco  belongs  to  the  family  of  plants 
known  in  botany  under  the  name  of  Solanacece 
Other  well-known  members  of  this  family  are 
the  Irish  potato,  the  red  pepper,  the  tomato, 
the  egg-plant,  etc. 

15 


American  tobacco  belongs  almost  exclusively 
to  that  group  of  this  family  which  comprise 
the  genus  Nicotiana.  Of  this  genus  there  are 
about  50  separate  species,  one  of  which,  Nico- 
tiana Tabacwm,  supplies  almost  all  the  tobacco 
of  commerce.  Plants  of  this  species  grow  from 

2  feet  to  9  feet  in  height;  they  have  numerous 
wide-spreading  leaves    sometimes   as   much   as 

3  feet   in  length;   these   leaves   may   be   oval, 
oblong,  pointed,   or  lanceolate   in   shape,   and 
are  generally  of  a  pale  green  color  when  young ; 
they  are  arranged  alternately  in  a  spiral  on 
the  stem;  the  root  is  large  and  fibrous;  the 
stem  is  erect,  round  and  viscid,  branching  near 
the   top.      The   alternate   arrangement   of   the 
leaves    on    the    stalk,    succeeding    each    other 
spirally,  so  that  the  9th  overhangs  the  1st,  the 
10th  the  2nd,  and  so  on,  is  very  characteristic. 
The  distance  on  the  stalk  between  the  leaves  is 
about  2  inches.     Flowers  are  in  large  clusters, 
with  corollas  of  rose  color,  or  white  tinged  with 
pink.     The  leaves  and  stalks  are  covered  with 
soft  downy  hair.     The  plant  is  perennial  but 
crops  are  usually  raised  from  seed. 

Of  this  species  (N.  Tabacum)  there  are  prob- 
ably more  than  100  varieties  grown  in  the  U.  S. 
alone.  Some  of  the  best  known  will  be  described 
later. 


16 


To  this  same  species  (N.  Tabacum)  Havana, 
East  Indian  and  European  tobaccos  principally 
belong.  The  other  important  species  are : 

Nicotiana  Persica.  Grown  in  Persia.  This 
has  a  white  flower  and  the  leaves  almost  enwrap 
the  stem.  It  is  used  almost  exclusively  as  a 
pipe-smoking  tobacco.  Some  claim  that  this  is 
only  a  variant  of  N.  Tabacum. 

Nicotiana  Repanda.  This  is  a  species  of 
Cuban  tobacco  entirely  different  from  that 
grown  in  the  Havana  district.  It  is  also  called 
Yara. 

Nicotiana  Rustica.  A  kind  of  wild  growing 
tobacco  principally  cultivated  in  Mexico,  and 
which  is  claimed  as  the  parent  of  some  of  the 
Turkish,  Syrian  and  Latakia  tobaccos  although 
many  authorities  claim  that  these  tobaccos  be- 
long to  the  species  N.  Tabacum.  The  European 
tobacco  is  hardier  than  the  American  parent 
plant.  The  leaves  are  smaller. 

N.  Rustica.  Also  includes  commpn  Hungar- 
ian and  Turkish  tobaccos.  There  are  large  and 
small  leaved  varieties. 

N.  Crispa.  Grown  in  Syria  and  largely  in 
Central  Asia.  Used  as  a  cigarette  tobacco  in 
the  Orient. 

It  has  been  stated  above  that  there  are  many 
varieties  of  N.  Tabacwm  in  the  U.  S.  Of  these 
the  most  important  are  known  to  botanists 

17 


by  the  names,  Nicotiana  Tabacum  Macrophylla 
and  Nicotiana  Tabacum  Angustifolia. 

Maryland  tobacco  belongs  to  the  Macro- 
phylla variety  and  there  are  many  other  types 
differing  from  each  other  according  to  shape 
of  the  leaf,  size  of  the  stalk,  etc. 

Virginian  tobacco  is  of  the  Angustifolia 
variety,  and  of  this  also  there  are  many  dif- 
ferent types. 

Most  European  and  other  grown  tobaccos 
have  been  raised  from  original  plants  of  the 
Maryland  and  Virginian  varieties. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  there  is  no 
essential  difference  in  cigar,  pipe  smoking  or 
cigarette  tobaccos.  The  differences  are  physi- 
cal only.  All  kinds  may  be  obtained  from  the 
same  species  or  even  the  same  variety  of  the 
species  by  suitable  culture  and  crossing. 

REFERENCES 
ANASTASIA,    G.    E.      Le    varietd    della    Nicotiana 

Tabacum.     Scafati,  1906. 

COMES,  O.  Delle  razze  dei  tabacchi.    Naples,  1905. 
KILLEBREW,  J.  B.  and  MYRICK  H.     Tobacco  leaf ; 

its  culture  and  cure,  marketing  and  manufacture. 

Part  I.     New  York,  1897. 
LOCK.   C.   G.   W.      Tobacco  growing,   curing,  and 

manufacturing.     Chapter  I.     London  and  New 

York,   1886. 

WOLF,  J.  Der  Tabac.    Chapter  II.   Leipzig,  1912. 
BILLINGS,  E.   R.      Tobacco;  its  history,  varieties, 

etc.     Chapter  I.     Hartford,  Conn.,  1875. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  TOBACCO 
PLANT 

CLIMATIC  AND  SOIL  CONDITIONS.     TREATMENT 

OF  THE  GROWING  PLANT.     SHADE  GROWN 

TOBACCO.     HARVESTING 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  TOBACCO 
PLANT 

A  few  general  facts  concerning  the  culture  of 
the  tobacco  plant  and  its  treatment  until  it 
reaches  the  hands  of  the  manufacturers  will  be 
of  interest  for  the  smoker. 

The  general  principles  underlying  the  culture 
of  tobacco  are  the  same  whether  it  is  intended 
for  the  cigar,  pipe  smoking  or  cigarette  trade; 
but  the  treatment  of  the  leaf  after  it  is  har- 
vested differs  considerably. 

Tobacco  is  a  perennial  plant.  It  is,  however, 
usually  raised  each  year  from  seed.  The  seed- 
lings are  usually  ready  for  planting  towards  the 
end  of  May  and  are  generally  planted  between 
the  last  week  in  May  and  the  middle  of  June. 

The  successful  raising  of  tobacco  depends  on 
four  principal  factors:  (1)  the  climate,  (2)  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  (3)  the  seed,  and  (4)  on  the 
method  of  culture. 

The  climate  must  be  such  as  to  favor  rapid 
growth  and  therefore  must  furnish  sufficient 
heat  and  moisture  during  the  time  the  plant  is 
growing.  The  fineness  of  the  texture  and  the 
elasticity  of  the  leaf  depend  on  the  climate. 

On  the  soil  the  plant  depends  for  its  food, 
and  for  the  absorption  of  those  chemical  con- 

21 


stituents  on  which  depend  the  burning  qualities, 
the  strength  and  the  color. 

The  physical  qualities  of  the  plant,  structure 
and  form,  thickness  of  veins,  size,  shape  and  dis- 
tribution of  leaves,  are  derived  from  the  seed. 

Finally,  on  the  method  of  cultivation  (includ- 
ing the  curing  process)  depends  in  part  the 
final  color,  flavor  and  aroma ;  the  type  and 
trade  value;  that  is  to  say,  on  successful  cul- 
ture and  harvesting  and  treatment  at  the  right 
time  and  in  the  best  way,  must  depend  the 
grower's  hopes  of  the  final  value  of  his  crop. 
The  quantity  of  nicotine,  essential  oils,  etc.,  on 
which  flavor  and  strength  depend,  is  regulated 
to  the  greatest  extent  by  the  time  of  cutting. 

The  nature  of  the  soil  is  a  very  important 
matter  in  the  culture  of  tobacco,  for  the  color 
of  the  cured  tobacco  leaf  depends  almost  entire- 
ly on  the  soil.  The  light  colored  leaf  is  grown 
on  light  colored  soil  and  the  darker  leaf  is 
grown  on  heavy,  dark  soil.  The  best  type  of  soil 
for  the  raising  of  tobacco  intended  for  the  cigar 
trade  is  a  warm,  deep,  sandy  loam  which  rests 
on  permeable  well-drained  subsoil.  The  very 
light  colored  yellow  tobacco  cannot  be  raised 
except  on  light  colored,  porous  soils;  and  so 
susceptible  is  this  matter  of  the  coloring  of  the 
leaf  that  it  has  been  noted  that  the  darkening 
of  the  soil  by  a  liberal  allowance  of  stable  man- 
22 


ure  will,  on  a  very  light  colored  soil,  change  the 
color  of  the  tobacco  leaf  from  a  bright  yellow 
to  a  mahogany  shade.  Very  light  sandy  soils 
or  very  light  loams  with  clayey  subsoils  are 
usually  chosen  for  these  light  yellow  tobaccos. 
Although  by  processes  subsequent  to  growth  it 
is  possible  to  darken  the  color  of  tobacco  leaf, 
there  is  no  known  process  that  will  make  a  dark 
leaf  light  in  color. 

Moreover,  the  soil  must  be  very  fertile  and 
rich  in  the  special  substances  needed  by  the 
growing  plant.  This  is  all  the  more  necessary 
because  tobacco  is  a  rapidly  growing  plant, 
and  reaches  its  maturity  within  a  few  months 
after  its  planting.  The  rapidity  of  growth 
therefore  demands  a  rich  fertile  soil  well  stored 
with  plant  food.  Good  manuring,  or  liberal 
treatment  with  fertilizers,  is  essential  for  keep- 
ing such  soils  in  prime  condition,  because  the 
period  of  growing  must  not  be  extended. 

Tobacco  is  usually  planted  in  rows,  the  rows 
being  from  three  to  four  feet  apart,  the  usual 
arrangement  being  that  the  plants  are  generally 
about  12  or  18  inches  apart  in  the  row.  Some 
planters,  however,  give  the  plants  more  room 
for  many  reasons,  varying  the  distance  between 
the  plants  even  as  much  as  30  inches.  Cigar 
leaf  tobacco  plants  are  usually  placed  about  14 
inches  apart. 

23 


There  are  various  operations  necessary  dur- 
ing the  growth  of  the  plant.  The  most  import- 
ant of  these  for  our  purpose  are  those  known 
as  "priming'  or  "thinning  out"  and  "cutting." 
Priming  is  usually  done  when  the  plant  is  well 
advanced  in  growth,  but  the  time  varies  with 
different  growers  and  according  to  the  species. 
It  consists  in  removing  the  lower  or  imperfect 
leaves  from  the  plant,  or  these  which  have  in 
any  way  become  injured  from  insect  or  other 
harmful  agencies.  As  a  general  rule  the  larger 
the  number  of  leaves  there  is  on  a  plant  the 
lower  is  the  quality  of  the  subsequently  cured 
leaf.  An  average  of  about  10  leaves  to  each 
plant  is  what  is  favored  by  most  growers,  and 
the  plants  are  usually  thinned  to  this  extent. 
Seed  buds  are  removed  also  at  the  same  time 
and  for  the  same  reason.  If  the  plants  are 
"thinned"  late  and  when  they  are  approaching 
full  growth  the  leaves  removed  are  not  des- 
troyed, but  are  cured  separately  and  sold  as 
inferior  quality  and  are  usually  called  "prim- 
ings" or  "planters  lugs." 

In  the  Southern  American  States  the  time 
allowed  for  the  growth  and  maturing  of  the 
plant  is  somewhat  longer  than  in  the  eastern 
and  more  northerly  states  where  the  soil,  owing 
to  richer  fertilization,  favors  the  rapid  growth. 
Moreover,  a  stronger  quality  of  tobacco  is 

24 


wanted  and  the  extra  time  allows  the  plant  to 
effect  a  greater  elaboration  in  its  cells  of  the 
oils  and  gums,  etc.,  which  contribute  particu- 
larly to  strength  and  flavor. 

SHADE  GROWN  TOBACCO 

The  matter  of  rapid  growth  has,  however,  its 
limitations.  Too  much  sunlight  is  considered  a 
disadvantage.  Under  such  powerful  action, 
nutrition  is  drawn  quickly  from  the  soil  and  the 
plants  ripen  too  quickly.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  leaves  tend  to  become  heavy  bodied 
and  not  very  large  in  size.  To  defeat  this  ten- 
dency and  produce  large,  thin  silky  leaves  for 
the  cigar  trade,  the  grower  sometimes  covers 
his  field  with  a  tent  of  cheese-cloth  or  similar 
protection  from  the  glare  of  the  sun.  The 
ripening  process  is  thereby  slowed  and  the 
leaves  are  thinner,  larger  and  lighter  in  shade. 
This  method  is  employed  principally  in  Cuba, 
Florida  and  Connecticut  where  cigar  wrapper 
leaves  are  produced,  and  such  tobacco  is  known 
as  shade-grown. 

Tobacco  which  has  been  planted  out  at  the 
end  of  May  or  early  in  June  is  usually  ready  for 
harvesting  at  the  end  of  August  or  beginning  to 
middle  of  September.  The  actual  time  of  har- 
vesting varies  a  good  deal  according  to  the 
variety  grown  and  the  physical  condition  con- 

25 


cerned  in  the  growing  of  the  plant.  The  heavier 
tobaccos  which  are  intended  for  the  export 
trade  are  usually  harvested  late.  The  most  im- 
portant operations  connected  with  the  culture 
of  the  tobacco  leaf  are  the  "yellowing"  and 
"curing"  processes,  and,  as  these  commence 
with  the  cutting  of  the  plant,  this  latter  must 
be  done  under  strictly  favorable  conditions  in 
order  to  insure  proper  results.  The  cutting 
must  not  be  done  while  the  sun  is  very  hot,  or 
while  there  is  rain,  or  before  the  plant  is  fully 
matured.  On  the  other  hand,  after  the  plant 
has  reached  its  maturity,  it  must  not  be  allowed 
to  continue  its  growth,  which  along  with  other 
things  would  be  likely  to  increase  its  nicotine 
content  which  is  not  desirable.  The  experienced 
tobacco  grower  knows  well  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  plant  when  it  is  best  fitted  for  cut- 
ting. The  leaves  become  thick  and  heavy  and 
assume  a  drooping  appearance.  They  become 
crisp  with  a  tendency  to  break  easily,  and  a 
mottled,  spotty  look  is  noticeable  on  them.  The 
surface  becomes  gummy  and  oily;  the  oily  sub- 
stances increases  and  exudates  as  the  days  pass. 
When  these  signs  appear  the  tobacco  is  cut  on 
the  first  day  when  the  weather  favors.  It  is 
usual  in  most  cases  to  split  the  stalks  down  the 
middle  and  allow  the  leaves  to  wilt,  before  the 
stalk  is  entirely  cut  through.  After  sufficient 

26 


wilting  the  leaves  are  gathered  in  piles  and 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sunlight;  or  they 
are  stuck  by  the  stalks  on  poles  or  framework 
and  so  exposed  that  the  sun  and  air  have  free 
access  to  all  parts.  This  is  the  best  and  most 
approved  practice.  "Yellowing"  of  the  leaf  is 
very  rapid  after  the  plant  is  cut;  it  is  the 
natural  effect  due  to  cutting  off  the  food  supply 
of  the  leaf  and  the  consequent  slow  death  of  the 
vitality  of  the  cells.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  leaves  are  large,  varying  in  size  (ac- 
cording to  species)  from  12  inches  to  over  .2 
feet  in  length.  Such  a  leaf  needs  a  large  quan- 
tity of  food  and  the  sudden  cutting  off  of  the 
supply  effects  a  rapid  change  in  appearance. 
The  leaves  are  allowed  to  hang  on  the  scaffolds 
3  to  5  days  until  they  are  fully  yellowed.  They 
are  then  ready  for  the  process  of  "curing," 
which  is  the  most  important  operation  con- 
nected with  cultivation.  The  "curing"  and 
"fermentation"  which  the  leaf  undergoes  are 
chemical  actions  and  their  success  depends  on 
the  proper  method  of  "yellowing."  The  leaves 
must  not  be  exposed  to  the  sun  too  long,  be- 
cause the  cells  would  lose  their  vitality  too 
rapidly  and  be  unfitted  for  the  new  part  they 
have  to  play  in  the  curing  process.  The  chemi- 
cal changes  will  be  explained  in  subsequent 
chapters.  It  is  desired  that  the  reader  should 

27 


understand  that  to  ensure  a  successful  final 
issue  the  planter  has  need  to  watch  continu- 
ously and  to  know  all  the  conditions.  If  the 
leaf  does  not  "yellow"  properly  no  amount  of 
after  care  in  curing  will  make  up  for  this  de- 
ficiency. In  tobacco  growing  as  in  everything 
else,  to  ensure  final  high  quality  each  step  in 
the  process  must  be  executed  with  skill,  care, 
and  judgment. 

The  yield  of  tobacco  per  acre  varies  from 
about  300  Ibs.  of  leaf  in  the  southern  states  to 
1,000  Ibs.  or  more  in  the  eastern.  700  to  800 
Ibs.  per  acre  is  considered  a  good  average  crop. 

REFERENCES 

KILLEBREW  AND  MYRiCK.     Tobacco  leaf;  its  cul- 
ture   and   cure,    marketing   and   manufacturing. 

Part  I.     New  York,  1897. 
BILLINGS,  E.   R.      Tobacco;  its  history,  varieties, 

culture,  etc.     Chapter  XIII.     Hartford,  Conn., 

1875. 
LAURENT,  L.  Le  tabac;  sa  culture  et  sa  preparation 

production  et  consummation  dans  les  divers  pays. 

Paris,  1900. 
U.  S.  DEPT.  OF  AGRICULTURE.     Farmers'  Bulletins 

Nos.  6  and  60.     Tobacco. 
U.  S.  DEPT.  OF  AGRICULTURE.     Bureau  of  Plant 

Industry.     Bulletin  96.     Tobacco  breeding. 


28 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  WORLD'S  PRODUCTION  OF 
TOBACCO 

TOTAL  PBODUCTION.     COUNTBIES  WHICH  CULTI- 
VATE   TOBACCO.      PBODUCTION   IN    THE 
NEW  WOBLD  OTHEB  THAN  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES 


THE  WORLD'S  PRODUCTION  OF 
TOBACCO 

The  world's  recorded  annual  crop  of  tobacco 
leaf  is  over  one  million  tons.  The  latest 
government  figures  available  are  those  for  1912 
and  1913,  and  show  2,696,401,379  and 
2,722,190,030  Ibs.  respectively.  Of  this  amount 
Asia  and  America  produce  each  about  350,000 
tons,  Europe  about  250,000  tons  and  the  rest 
of  the  world  the  balance. 

The  details  of  the  production  in  the  U.  S. 
will  be  given  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  principal  Asiatic  countries  which  pro- 
duce tobacco  are  China,  Japan,  Afghanistan, 
India,  Persia  and  Asia  Minor.  China  has  an 
immense  production  and  consumption  of  tobac- 
co, a  large  portion  of  which  finds  its  way  into 
western  markets  for  the  cigar  and  cigarette 
trade  and  is  sold  as  "Turkish"  tobacco.  No 
figures  as  to  production  are  available. 

British  India  and  Afghanistan  produce  good 
tobacco,  a  lot  of  which  is  used  in  Hindustan  and 
other  Eastern  countries. 

The  Persian  crop  is  known  to  be  large,  but 
there  are  no  available  records  of  it.  In  Persia 
most  of  the  tobacco  raised  is  of  the  species 
known  as  Nicotiana  Persica.  This  is  generally 
known  under  its  trade  name  of  Tumbach  or 

31 


Tumbeki  (or  more  correctly  Teymbeki).  This 
is  the  common  Eastern  name  for  tobacco.  It  is 
considerably  exported  to  the  countries  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Persia  and  is  smoked  in  the 
pipe  known  as  the  Narghilli.  In  this  pipe  the 
teymbeki  burns  in  contact  with  a  piece  of  incan- 
descent charcoal.  The  smoker  draws  the  vapor 
through  a  flexible  tube  which  passes  to  the  bot- 
tom of  a  water  chamber  and  passes  above  it, 
whence  it  is  inhaled.  The  narghili  is  technically 
a  water  pipe.  The  teymbeki  is  very  strong  in 
nicotine,  containing  up  to  5  or  6  per  cent. 

Japan  produces  large  and  medium  size  leaf 
of  good  color  but  poor  in  quality.  It  is 
generally  used  for  pipe  and  cigarette  trade. 

The  statistics  of  production  for  Asia  are  ex- 
tremely unreliable.  When  we  consider  the  teem- 
ing populations  of  China,  India  and  other 
Eastern  countries  and  the  prevalence  of  the 
smoking  habit,  it  is  very  probable  that  the 
figure  of  production  (350,000  tons  annually) 
is  much  under  the  mark.  There  is  very  little 
export  of  tobacco  from  the  United  States  or 
Europe  to  the  East.  Whatever  tobacco  is  con- 
sumed there  is  mostly  of  its  own  production. 
EUROPEAN  PRODUCTION  OF  TOBACCO 

In  Europe  the  principal  tobacco  producing 
countries     are     Germany,     France,     Austria, 
Russia,  Italy  and  Turkey. 
32 


Germany  has  nearly  40,000  acres  under 
tobacco  cultivation  in  Rhenish  Bavaria,  Baden, 
Hesse,  and  Alsace-Lorraine.  The  annual  pro- 
duction is  about  50  to  70  million  Ibs. ;  and  in 
addition  nearly  3  times  that  much  is  imported. 
German  home  grown  leaf  is  medium  to  large  in 
size,  of  fair  body,  heavy  and  with  coarse  veins. 
It  is  used  for  cigar  filler  and  pipe,  but  is  not 
suited  for  cigar  wrappers.  (See  the  chapter  on 
cigars.) 

French  tobacco  is  raised  from  Virginia  seed. 
It  is  dark,  coarse  and  heavy  and  is  suitable  for 
plug  and  snuff  making  only. 

Russia  is  the  largest  European  producer. 
Russian  tobacco  leaf  is  very  large  in  size  and 
like  the  French  is  coarse,  dark  and  heavy  and 
is  only  fit  for  plug  and  snuff  making.  There  is 
a  lighter  kind  grown  from  Turkish  seed  in 
South  Russia  which  is  fit  for  cigarettes. 

Italy  has  made  several  attempts  to  cultivate 
good  tobacco,  and  several  different  types  are 
produced.  A  dark  heavy  leaf  is  grown  from 
Virginia  seed,  and  a  type  from  Kentucky  seed 
is  also  produced.  These  types  are  suitable  to 
the  dark,  heavy  fertile  soils  of  Middle  and 
North  Italy.  In  the  lighter  sandy  soil  of  the 
south,  the  varieties  grown  are  raised  from 
Turkish  seed  and  are  similar  in  appearance  and 
quality  to  the  genuine  Turkish  tobacco. 
33 


Hungary  is  a  heavy  grower  of  tobacco  and 
produces  some  of  the  best  in  Europe.  There  is 
a  heavy  dark  type,  of  a  rich  brown  color, 
medium  sized  leaf  with  small  and  thin  veins, 
which  is  used  in  cigar  manufacture.  A  small 
bright  yellow  leaf  is  also  grown,  poor  in  quality 
and  aroma,  which  is  used  for  pipe  smoking  and 
cigarettes. 

The  most  important  foreign  tobacco  as  re- 
gards U.  S.  consumers  is  that  known  as  Turk- 
ish. The  leaves  of  the  Turkish  tobacco  are 
small  (about  8"  long),  clear  yellow  in  color, 
and  have  a  special  aroma,  which  renders  them 
peculiarly  suitable  for  the  manufacturing  of 
cigarettes.  The  principal  producing  centers 
are  Macedonia,  Albania,  Syria,  Palestine  and 
Trebizond,  that  raised  in  Macedonia  being  per- 
haps the  most  celebrated.  Just  like  the  Cuban 
leaf,  the  very  best  grades  of  Turkish  tobacco 
are  not  exported,  but  are  kept  for  domestic 
consumption. 

Latakia  tobacco  is  produced  in  the  northern 
part  of  Syria.  This  tobacco  has  a  very  small 
nicotine  content.  It  is  produced  by  a  special 
fabrication  and  is  in  very  great  demand  as  an 
ingredient  of  pipe  smoking  mixtures. 

The  District  of  Cavalla  in  the  Province  of 
Roumelia,  is  one  of  the  most  important  tobacco 
centers  in  the  Turkish  Empire.  There  are 
34 


about  75,000  acres  under  tobacco  cultivation 
and  the  annual  production  is  about  10,000,000 
Ibs.  The  American  Tobacco  Co.  has  a  large 
establishment  here  through  which  it  purchases 
its  Turkish  leaf,  amounting  to  over  6  million 
Ibs.  yearly,  for  the  manufacture  of  Turkish 
cigarettes,  etc. 

The  total  importation  of  Turkish  leaf  into 
the  United  States  during  1913  was  : 
From  Turkey  in  Europe    .  .  .    10,816,048  Ibs. 
From  Turkey  in  Asia 18,955,295  Ibs. 

Greece  and  the  Balkan  States  produce 
tobacco  which  partakes  of  the  qualities  of  Hun- 
garian and  Turkish,  the  Grecian  leaf  being 
used  a  good  deal  as  a  substitute  for  genuine 
Turkish  tobacco. 

TOBACCO  PRODUCED  IN  THE  NEW  WORLD  OTHER 
THAN  IN  UNITED  STATES 

The  government  of  Canada  has  given  a  lot 
of  attention  to  experiments  in  connection  with 
the  growth  of  tobacco  in  the  Dominion,  but  only 
with  indifferent  success.  The  leaf  is  raised 
principally  from  Virginian  seed,  but  is  large 
and  coarse  and  is  only  fit  for  inferior  plug  and 
snuff  making. 

Cuban  Tobacco.  The  tobacco  raised  in  the 
Island  of  Cuba  is  the  most  celebrated  in  the 
world  for  cigar  making.  The  leaf  is  of  a  rich, 
35 


brown  color;  narrow  and  small  in  size,  varying 
from  8  to  18  inches  in  length.  Its  richness  of 
flavor  and  the  peculiar  aroma  are  its  chief 
characteristics.  Cuba  produces  annually  about 
300,000  to  500,000  bales  of  tobacco  varying  in 
weight  from  80  to  150  Ibs.  per  bale,  nearly  one- 
half  of  which  is  exported  to  the  United  States 
alone. 

The  importation  of  Cuban  leaf  into  the 
United  States  over  a  series  of  years  is  shown 
below : 

Cuban  leaf  imports  into  the  U.  S.  (Ibs.) 

1855-1860=    7,014,485 


1871-1875=  8,985,465 
1886-1890  =  15,532,075 
1896-1900  =  10,811,173 


Average 

Yearly 

Imports. 


1901-1905  =  24,048,837 
Year  1914  =  26,617,545 
The  value  in  1900  was  $  8,478,251 
The  value  in  1905  was  $13,348,000 
The    Province    of    Pinar    del    Rio    produces 
about  70  per  cent  of  the  entire  Cuban  crop. 
In  this  is  the  District  of  Vuelto  Aba  jo  which  is 
celebrated  the  world  over  for  the  very  finest 
cigar   tobacco.      The   District    of   Habana    or 
Havana  produces  about  13  per  cent  and  Santa 
Clara  about  13  per  cent.     The  Cubans  them- 
selves favor  the  dark  "Maduro"  fully  ripened 
leaves.     At  present  a  good  deal  of  Cuban  cigar 
36 


leaf  is  grown  under  shade  with  the  result  that 
although  when  fully  mature  they  are  light  in 
color,  they  are  rich  in  flavor. 

The  value  of  the  cigar  leaf  imported  by  the 
U.  S.  from  Cuba  averages  at  present  about 
14  or  15  million  dollars  annually. 

Porto  Rican  leaf  possesses  many  of  the  quali- 
ties of  good  Havana  leaf,  and  like  the  latter  is 
used  in  cigar  manufacture.  The  annual  pro- 
duction is  about  120,000  bales.  The  U.  S. 
imports  from  4  to  5  million  Ibs.  annually. 
Further  particulars  regarding  Cuban  and 
Porto  Rican  leaf  will  be  given  in  the  chapters 
concerning  cigars. 

Mexico  produces  a  tobacco,  large  as  to  leaf, 
dark  in  color,  with  heavy  body  and  coarse  veins. 
The  tobacco  is  very  strong  in  flavor.  The  best 
grades  approach  the  Cuban  tobacco  in  quality 
and  are  imported  and  used  as  substitutes  for  it. 
The  U.  S.  importation  is  small.  The  annual 
production  is  about  34  million  Ibs.  The  best 
quality  is  produced  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Vera  Cruz,  and  only  a  small  portion  is  exported, 
principally  to  Cuba. 

Brazilian  tobacco  leaf  is  brown  in  color, 
medium  in  size,  and  medium  in  body.  It 
posesses  fair  qualities  as  a  cigar  tobacco,  for 
which  purpose  it  is  generally  used  in  South 
America,  which  is  its  principal  market. 
37 


EAST  INDIAN  AND  PHILIPPINE  TOBACCO 
The  Dutch  East  Indies  (Sumatra  and  the 
adjacent  islands)  produce  yearly  about  180 
million  Ibs.  of  tobacco,  all  of  which  is  used  in 
the  cigar  business.  Of  this  the  United  States 
takes  about  from  30,000  to  40,000  bales  of 
Sumatran  leaf,  about  5%  million  Ibs.  About 
2  Ibs.  of  this  leaf  wraps  1,000  cigars. 

The  Philippine  Islands  produce  from  50  to 
100  million  Ibs,  of  tobacco  annually.  The  crop 
for  1913  was  101,544,736  Ibs.  The  imports 
into  the  United  States  are  principally  as  manu- 
factured cigars  by  special  arrangements  which 
will  be  referred  to  later  on  in  the  chapter  on 
cigars. 


CHAPTER  IV 

PRODUCTION  OF  TOBACCO  IN  THE 
UNITED   STATES 

TOTAL   PRODUCTION.      AMOUNT   PRODUCED    BY 

THE  DIFFERENT  STATES.     VARIETIES 

RAISED.     DESCRIPTION   OF   THE 

DIFFERENT  VARIETIES 


39 


PRODUCTION  OF  TOBACCO  LEAF  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES 

The  amount  of  tobacco  leaf  raised  annually 
in  the  United  States  varies  from  700  million 
Ibs.  to  1,000  million  Ibs.  Thus,  according  to 
the  Government  Statistical  Reports,  the  pro- 
duction in  1909  was  1,055,764,806  Ibs.,  being 
an  unusually  high  figure.  The  production  in 
1913  was  953,734,000  Ibs.  and  in  1914, 
1,034,679,000  Ibs.  The  average  crop  may  be 
taken  as  about  800  million  Ibs.,  about  half  of 
which  is  exported  as  leaf,  and  the  other  half 
manufactured  in  the  U.  S.  into  cigars,  smoking 
and  chewing  tobaccos,  etc.,  and  consumed  in 
the  U.  S.  To  produce  this  immense  crop  over 
one  million  acres  of  rich,  fertile  land  is  under 
culture,  the  actual  government  figures  for  1913 
being  1,216,000  acres,  and  for  1914,  1,224,000, 
and  the  value  of  the  raw  crop  is  from  80  to 
100  million  dollars,  which  works  out  to  an 
average  value  of  from  10  to  12  cents  per  Ib. 
The  cost  of  producing  the  best  grades  of  cigar 
leaf  in  the  Eastern  States  is  from  8  to  10  cents 
per  Ib. ;  is  Wisconsin  from  5  to  10  cents.  The 
price  paid  to  the  growers  is  from  5  to  15  cents, 
except  for  the  highest  grades  (cigar  wrapper 
leaf)  for  which  special  prices,  up  to  40  or  50 

41 


cents,  may  be  paid.  Smoking  and  chewing  leaf  of 
average  grade  fetches  from  6  to  7  cents  per  Ib. 
From  these  figures  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
agricultural  industry  of  tobacco  growing  is  a 
most  important  one,  and  it  is  constantly  in- 
creasing both  in  the  quantity  produced  and  in 
value.  About  45  of  the  states  in  the  Union 
are  engaged  in  tobacco  culture,  the  principal 
states  and  the  quantities  produced  being  as 
follows  (for  1914)  : 

Kentucky 364  million  Ibs. 

North  Carolina 172  "  " 

Virginia 114  "  " 

Tennessee 63  "  " 

Ohio    78  "  " 

Wisconsin    54  "  " 

Pennsylvania    48  "  " 

Connecticut    35  "  " 

South  Carolina    36  "  " 

Maryland 17  "  " 

Indiana   12  "  " 

Massachusetts    11  "  " 

Other  states   .  30  "  " 


Total 1034        "         " 

Virginia  was,  until  recently,  the  premier 
tobacco  state.  Tobacco  was  first  raised  in 
Virginia  about  1619  when  the  quantity  pro- 


duced  was  about  20,000  Ibs.  By  1753  the 
records  show  that  over  50  million  Ibs.  were 
raised  annually,  all  of  which  was  exported.  At 
this  time  and  until  about  the  period  of  the 
Civil  War,  Europe  was  dependant  more  than 
now  on  America  for  her  tobacco  supply,  as  at 
present  a  considerable  part  of  her  needs  is  sup- 
plied by  her  own  production.  Tobacco  was  not 
grown  in  Kentucky  till  about  1785  and  a  little 
later  in  Tennessee  and  Ohio.  The  cigar  leaf 
industry  of  the  New  England  States  did  not 
come  into  activity  till  about  1830.  Cigar  leaf 
was  raised  in  Florida  about  the  same  time  but 
was  discontinued  and  was  not  resumed  till  fifty 
years  later  . 

Virginia,  Maryland  and  Tennessee  have 
shown  a  declining  annual  production  since  the 
Civil  War.  Thus  Virginia  in  1860  produced 
nearly  30  per  cent  of  the  total  U.  S.  crop, 
whereas  at  present  it  produces  about  12  per 
cent  only.  The  causes  which  have  contributed 
to  the  decline  in  tobacco  culture  in  the  Southern 
States  are  the  loss  of  slave  labor  as  well  as  the 
loss  of  capital  during  the  war;  more  particu- 
larly it  is  due  to  the  impoverishing  of  the  soil 
without  adequate  fertilization.  Thus  with 
superior  fertilization  and  intensive  methods, 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  give  1,750  Ibs. 
to  the  acre,  as  against  870  and  580  Ibs.  for 
4,3 


Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  In  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut  the  cost  for  fertilizer  per  farm 
is  $227  as  against  $17  and  $4  respectively  in 
Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  Moreover,  the 
Northern  farms  are  smaller  than  the  Southern. 

VARIETIES  or  TOBACCO  RAISED 

The  varieties  of  tobacco  raised  are  mainly  of 
the  native  American  species ;  but  in  some  states 
(in  Florida  particularly)  plants  are  raised  from 
imported  Cuban  and  Sumatran  seed,  in  an  en- 
deavor to  produce  cigar  leaf  equal  in  quality  to 
the  leaf  now  imported  from  these  places  which 
commands  a  high  price  in  the  trade.  The  rais- 
ing of  cigar  leaf  tobacco  from  foreign  seed 
began  in  Florida  about  1902 ;  and,  although  on 
the  whole,  the  cultivation  has  been  very  success- 
ful, yet  it  cannot  be  said  that  the  hoped  for 
results  have  been  fully  realized.  It  was  claimed 
for  the  Florida  grown  Sumatran  leaf  that  in 
many  ways  it  surpassed  the  native  Sumatran 
leaf.  Certainly  the  experimental  samples  of 
this  Florida  leaf  exhibited  by  the  U.  S.  at  the 
Paris  Exposition  of  1900  were  judged  to  be 
superior  both  in  appearance  and  style  and  other 
matters.  However,  this  superiority  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  upheld,  for  in  the  trade 
the  native  grown  Sumatran  leaf  still  holds  its 
rank. 

44 


Similarly  in  the  case  of  Florida  grown  Cuban 
leaf  which  at  the  same  Exposition  was  voted 
as  equal  to  the  native.  The  native  leaf,  how- 
ever, whether  due  to  the  soil  or  not,  has  a  finer 
flavor  and  aroma,  and  the  best  grades  of  native 
grown  Cuban  tobacco  still  hold  the  palm  as 
the  premier  cigar  tobacco  of  the  world. 

The  leaf  raised  in  Connecticut,  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  Wisconsin,  Florida,  Massachusetts,  and 
New  York  State,  is  generally  used  for  the  cigar 
trade  (see  the  chapters  on  cigars).  Ohio  and 
Florida  (Cuban  seed)  leaf  mostly  used  as  cigar 
fillers ;  Connecticut  and  Florida  ( Sumatran 
seed),  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  leaf  mostly 
as  wrapper  leaf,  the  inferior  leaves  being  used 
as  fillers.  Wisconsin  leaf  is  used  principally  as 
cigar  binder  leaf.  The  total  amount  of  cigar 
tobacco  raised  is  roughly  about  one-fifth  of  the 
entire  tobacco  crop. 

The  southern  states  produce  the  bulk  of  the 
export  dark,  heavy  leaf.  West  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  particularly,  as  well  as  Virginia,  the 
Carolinas  and  Maryland,  export  considerable 
quantities.  This  tobacco  is  fire-cured.  For  the 
domestic  trade,  however,  (pipe-smoking,  chew- 
ing and  cigarettes)  the  tobacco  grown  in  these 
states  is  flue-cured,  the  principal  product  being 
of  a  bright  yellow  color,  characteristic  of  this 
region. 

45 


This  "yellow  tobacco  belt"  extends  from  the 
coast  across  to  the  North  Carolina  Mountains, 
through  Tennessee  and  South  Carolina,  South- 
ern Virginia,  Southern  Ohio,  a  few  parts  of 
Kentucky,  some  of  Eastern  Missouri  and  Ar- 
kansas. The  best  soils  are  those  which  are  of 
a  light  sandy  or  sandy  clay  nature  and  they 
need  not  be  deep  or  rich.  In  this  region  the 
very  finest  pipe-smoking  tobaccos  are  raised. 
Whilst  the  U.  S.  has  not  been  able  to  produce  a 
cigar  wrapper  tobacco  equal  in  quality  to  the 
Cuban  or  Sumatran,  in  pipe-smoking  and  cigar- 
ette tobaccos  she  stands  without  a  rival. 

There  are  about  100  different  varieties  of 
tobacco  grown  in  the  U.  S.,  many  of  these  being 
approximately  the  same  and  are  synonymous. 
Subvarieties  are  easily  obtained  by  crossing. 
Cross-fertilization  easily  takes  place  where  dif- 
ferent strains  are  produced  in  the  same  locality. 
On  this  account  when  it  is  desired  to  keep  a 
variety  pure,  care  must  be  exerted  to  see  that 
seed  is  collected  from  pure  strains.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  ease  of  producing  new  varieties 
gives  opportunity  to  the  various  State  Agri- 
cultural Experimental  Stations  to  try  out  new 
strains  for  desirable  qualities.  The  enumera- 
tion of  the  differences  between  the  various  varie- 
ties would  be  tiresome  for  the  reader,  yet  it  will  be 
well  for  the  user  of  tobacco  to  know  some  of  these 
46 


varieties,  their  characteristics  and  other  par- 
ticulars concerning  them.     These  are  given  here : 

LEADING  VARIETIES  OF  AMERICAN  TOBACCOS 
BURLEY.  The  variety  known  as  White  Burley 
has  a  long  broad  leaf,  whitish  in  ap- 
pearance when  growing.  The  points  of 
the  leaf  hang  down  towards  the  ground 
when  growing,  often  even  touching  the 
ground.  The  leaf  is  thin  in  texture, 
has  a  mild  flavor,  low  nicotine  content 
and  good  absorbing  qualities.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  popular  tobaccos  in  the 
U.  S.  and  is  used  for  pipe-smoking  and 
chewing  tobaccos  and  cigarettes.  It 
cures  to  a  bright  yellow  brown  color. 

There  is  a  variety  known  as  Red  Bur- 
ley  which   has   a   thin   leaf   narrowing 
from  center  to  top.     The  leaves  are  of 
a  characteristic  cinnamon  color  and  are 
more  elastic  than  those  of  White  Bur- 
ley.     Burley  tobacco  is  raised  princi- 
pally   in     Ohio,     Kentucky,    Virginia, 
Maryland,  Missouri  and  Indiana. 
CONNECTICUT       Large,  strong  leaves,  thin  and 
SEEDLEAF.  elastic,  silky  in  texture,  small 

fibers,  sweetish  taste  and  light  in  color. 
Used  in  the  cigar  trade  as  fillers  and 
wrappers  and  grown  in  New  England, 
47 


Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  to  a  smaller 
extent  in  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Indi- 
ana, Illinois  and  Florida. 

CONNECTICUT  A  modification  of  the  above, 
BROADLEAF.  the  leaves  being  broader  in 
proportion  to  their  length.  They  are 
up  to  35  inches  long  and  22  inches  wide. 
Largely  used  in  the  cigar  trade  as  filler 
and  wrappers.  Both  the  Connecticut 
Seedleaf  and  Broadleaf  are  superior  to 
the  imported  Sumatran  leaf  in  flavor 
and  aroma,  but  are  inferior  in  elasticity 
and  covering  qualities. 

Grown    principally    in    Connecticut 
and  New  York  States. 

ORINOCO.  There  are  3  varieties  of  this  name: 
(1)  Short  Orinoco.  Broad  leaf,  up- 
right growth  and  open  habit,  light 
colored,  much  ruffled.  Grown  in  Vir- 
ginia and  Missouri.  (2)  Big  Orinoco. 
Short,  broad  leaf.  Grown  in  Virginia, 
Missouri,  North  Carolina,  Tennessee 
and  West  Virginia.  (3)  Yellow  Or- 
inoco. Long,  narrow,  tapering  leaf  with 
fine  texture.  The  sweetest  variety 
grown.  Grown  in  Virginia,  Maryland, 
North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  West  Vir- 
ginia and  Missouri. 
48 


Orinoco  tobacco  leaf  is  used  largely 
for  plug  and  smoking  tobaccos  and  for 
the  export  trade. 

VIRGINIAN.  Sun  and  air-cured  tobacco.  Leaf 
is  medium  in  size.  Very  bright  brown 
color.  Is  rich  in  gums  and  oils  which 
makes  it  sweet  and  fragrant  and  gives 
it  a  pleasant  taste.  Hence  it  is  a  favor- 
ite chewing  tobacco. 

PRYOR.  There  are  several  varieties  under  this 
name :  ( 1 )  Medley  or  White  Pry  or  has 
a  very  broad  leaf  with  silky  texture  and 
tough  fiber.  (2)  Blue  Pry  or.  Large, 
long  fine  leaf  and  good  color.  (3)  Silky 
Pryor.  A  long  sharp-pointed  leaf; 
grows  thin  on  the  stalk ;  very  tough  and 
pliant.  (4)  Yellow  Pryor.  Heavy, 
wide  leaf,  fine  bright  color,  tough  and 
weighs  well. 

Pryor  is  used  principally  for  the  ex- 
port trade  and  to  some  extent  also  in 
the  home  trade  both  for  cigar  and  plug 
and  smoking  tobaccos.  It  is  grown 
generally  throughout  Virginia,  North 
Carolina,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mis- 
souri and  Indiana,  the  White  variety 
being  extensively  grown  in  Virginia. 


LITTLE  A  very  favorite  pipe-smoking  to- 
DUTCH.  bacco.  It  has  a  small  nicotine  con- 
tent (less  than  1%).  The  leaf  is  small; 
narrow,  thick  and  short ;  dark  brown  in 
color,  glossy  surface  and  sweet  in  taste. 
It  is  grown  extensively  in  the  Miami 
Valley  of  Ohio. 

SUMATRA        Grown  principally  in  Florida  from 
SEED.  imported  Sumatran  seed.   The  leaf 

is  light  in  weight  and  color,  not  long 
compared  with  other  seedleaf  varieties. 
Very  narrow  and  with  fine  ribs.  Used 
in  cigar  trade  and  grown  extensively 
also  in  the  New  England  states. 

CUBAN  This  has  the  usual  qualities  of  Cuban 
SEED.  tobacco  but  with  inferior  fragrance 
and  aroma  to  the  native  grown.  Princi- 
pally raised  in  Pennsylvania,  New 
York,  Wisconsin,  Connecticut  and 
Florida  for  the  cigar  trade. 

PERIQUE.  A  special  variety  of  tobacco  grown 
only  in  a  small  area  of  Louisiana.  The 
leaf  is  medium  in  size,  has  a  fine  fiber 
with  small  stems.  Tough,  gummy  and 
glossy.  It  is  grown  in  a  deep,  rich  soil 
and  grows  very  rapidly.  Its  special 
characteristics  are  acquired  in  the  cur- 
ing, which  is  a  special  process  peculiar 
50 


to  itself,  and  which  will  be  described  in 
the  chapter  on  Manufactured  Tobaccos. 

REFERENCES 

Yearbooks  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture.  1Q14  and  previous. 

HOAGLAND,  I.  G.  The  Tobacco  Industry.  In 
Quarterly  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  As- 
sociation. 1Q07.  Vol.  I,  Nos.  2  and  4. 

JACOBSTEIN,  M.  The  Tobacco  Industry  in  the 
United  States.  New  York,  1Q07. 

BILLINGS,  E.  R.  Tobacco;  its  history,  varieties, 
culture,  manufacture  and  commerce.  Hartford 
Conn.,  1875. 


51 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  OF  THE 
TOBACCO  PLANT 

ORGANIC  AND  INORGANIC  MATTERS  CONTAINED  IN 

TOBACCO  AND  THE  PARTS  THEY  PLAY. 

ANALYSIS  OF  VARIOUS  TOBACCOS. 

NICOTINE. 


53 


THE  CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  OF  THE 
TOBACCO  PLANT 

The  tobacco  plant  when  subjected  to  chemi- 
cal analysis  is  found  to  contain  all  or  most  of 
the  following  substances: 

Mineral  Bases.  Potash,  Lime,  Magnesia, 
Oxides  of  Iron  and  Manganese,  Ammonia, 
Silica. 

Mineral    Acids.       Nitric,    Hydrochloric,    Sul- 
phuric and  Phosphoric. 
Organic  Base.     Nicotine. 
Organic  Acids.     Malic,  Citric,  Acetic,  Oxalic, 

Pectic  and  Ulmic. 

Other  Organic  Substances.     Nicotianin,  Green 
and  Yellow  Resin,  Wax  and  Fat,  Nitro- 
genous Substances  and  Cellulose. 
The   substances  which  differentiate  tobacco 
from  other  plants  and  form  its  chief  character- 
istics are  Nicotianin,  Nicotine  and  Malic  Acid. 
The  percentage  in  which  the  important  sub- 
stances exist  in  tobacco  is  given  below: 


Nicotine    

.  .  .  From     1  to     9% 

Malic  and  Citric  Acids   . 
Oxalic  Acid   

.  .  .From  10  to  14% 
.  .  .  From     1  to     2% 

Resins,  Oils  and  Fats  .  .  . 

.  .  .  From     4  to     6% 

Pectic  Acid    

...About                5% 

Cellulose   

.  .  .From     7  to     8% 

Albumenoids   

...About              25% 

Ash   

.  .  .From  12  to  30% 

55 

When  tobacco  is  burned,  chemical  changes 
occur;  the  organic  and  other  compounds  are 
decomposed.  The  volatile  matters  pass  off  in 
the  smoke  if  the  combustion  is  complete,  and 
the  mineral  ash  remains.  In  ordinary  pipe  or 
other  tobacco  smoking,  however,  the  combustion 
is  not  complete  and  many  decomposition  pro- 
ducts remain  with  the  mineral  ash. 

In  tobacco  smoke  the  following  can  usually 
be  found:  Furfurol,  Marsh  Gas,  Hydrogen 
Sulphide,  Hydrogen  Cyanide,  Organic  Acids, 
Phenols,  Empyreumatic  Oils,  Pyridine,  Picoline 
Series  and  possibly  some  Nicotine. 

The  ash  left  after  complete  combustion  is 
important,  as  much  of  the  smoking  qualities  of 
the  tobacco  depends  on  its  constituents.  An 
average  sample  gives  the  following  analysis  (in 
100  parts)  : 

AVERAGE  MINERAL  CONTENTS  OF  TOBACCO  ASH 

Potash About  27% 

Soda    About     3% 

Lime    About  40% 

Magnesia About     9% 

Sodium  Chloride About     9% 

Sulphuric  Acid About     3% 

Silica About     5% 

Lime  Phosphate About     4% 


56 


REMARKS  ON  SOME  OF  THE  SUBSTANCES  FOUND 

IN  TOBACCO 

Nicotine 

Of  all  the  substances  found  in  tobacco,  nico- 
tine is  the  most  important. 

Nicotine  in  the  pure  state  is  a  colorless  liquid 
having  a  specific  gravity  of  1.027.  It  is  an 
organic  base  having  the  chemical  formula 
Cio  H14  N2.  It  is  extremely  acid  and  burning 
to  the  taste,  and  is  a  virulent  poison.  It  easily 
volatilizes;  is  inflammable,  and  is  soluble  in 
water,  alcohol,  ether  and  some  fixed  oils.  Nico- 
tine has  the  characteristic  peculiar  odor  of 
tobacco. 

The  amount  of  nicotine  in  tobacco  is  said  to 
depend  on  the  nature  of  the  soil  in  which  it  is 
grown;  rich,  heavy  soils  and  strong  nitrogenous 
manuring  favor  the  production  of  a  large  nico- 
tine content ;  and  light,  sandy  soils  the  opposite. 

Moreover  the  nicotine  content  depends  on  the 
age  and  development  of  the  plant. 

An    investigation    by    Chuard    and    Mellet 
showed  nicotine  contents  of  leaves : 
In  young  plants  7  weeks  old  contained  .0324% 

In  plants  10  weeks  old  contained 0447% 

In  plants  13  weeks  old  contained 4989% 

In  plants  19  weeks  old  contained 9202% 

The  longer  the  plant  is  permitted  to  grow  the 
larger  will  be  its  nicotine  content. 

57 


Schlossing  has  made  a  similar  investigation 
and  found  that  in  the  same  plant  the  nicotine 
content  varies  from  0.79%  when  young  to 
4.32%  when  fully  matured.  Most  nicotine  is 
found  in  the  ribs  and  veins. 

H.  B.  Cox  (American  Druggist  V.  24,  1894, 
p.  95)  investigated  the  nicotine  contents  of 
various  manufactured  tobaccos.  These  were 
not  "proprietary  tobaccos"  but  samples  ob- 
tained from  different  sources  at  random.  His 
results  are  given  here : 

NICOTINE   CONTENTS  OP  DIFFERENT  TOBACCOS 

Nicotine 

Syrian  Tobacco  leaf  (a) 612% 

American  Chewing  Leaf 935% 

Syrian  Tobacco  Leaf  (b) 1.093% 

Chinese  Tobacco  Leaf 1.902% 

Turkish  Coarse  Cut 2.500% 

Golden  Virginia  (whole  strips)    2.501% 

Gold  Flake  Virginia 2.501% 

Navy  Cut  (light)    2.530% 

Light  Kentuckian 2.733% 

Navy  Cut  (dark)    3.64   % 

Best  "Bird's  Eye" 3.931% 

Cut  Cavendish  (a)    4.212% 

Best  Shag  (a) 4.907% 

Cut  Cavandish  (b)    4.970% 

Best  Shag  (b) 5.00  % 

58 


Algerian  Tobacco  (a)  8.813% 

French  Grown  Tobacco 8.711% 

Algerian  Tobacco  (b)  8.90  % 

The  average  of  a  number  of  samples  of 
Syrian  tobacco  showed  1  to  2%  nicotine. 
Manila  and  Havana  1  to  3%,  Virginia  and  Ken- 
tucky from  2  to  7%,  and  French  tobaccos  about 
9%. 

Most  of  the  nicotine  in  tobacco  becomes 
volatilized  and  decomposed  during  combustion; 
a  small  part,  however,  may  form  a  solution  with 
the  water  which  is  also  one  of  the  combustion 
products.  One  of  the  decomposition  products 
of  nicotine  is 

Pyridine 

Pyridine  is  usually  found  in  tobacco  smoke. 
When  condensed  it  is  a  colorless  non-oily  liquid 
and  is  considerably  less  toxic  than  nicotine. 

Reference  will  be  made  later  on  to  the  effects 
of  nicotine  and  pyridine  on  the  human  system. 

Potash 

Potash  is  important  as  on  its  amount  depends 
the  burning  qualities  of  the  tobacco.  It  is 
sometimes  present  in  the  ash  to  the  extent  of 
30%,  being  converted  into  potassium  carbonate 
by  burning.  Not  only  for  free  burning  is  the 
potash  valuable,  but  also  for  the  better  volatili- 
zation of  the  nicotine  and  other  substances. 
59 


The  more  perfect  the  combustion,  the  fewer 
deleterious  compounds  are  formed. 

Chlorides,  if  present,  retard  the  burning  of 
the  tobacco,  and  hence  a  tobacco  which  contains 
a  high  percentage  of  chloride,  even  if  it  is  rich 
in  potash  salts,  is  a  poor  burning  tobacco  and 
therefore  faulty.  While  it  is  important  that 
the  burning  should  be  free  and  the  volatilization 
as  perfect  as  possible,  yet  the  smoker  does  not 
want  his  tobacco  to  burn  too  rapidly.  To  meet 
this  some  manufacturers  prepare  "slow  burn- 
ing" tobaccos  generally  by  the  addition  of  some 
chemical  which  checks  the  potash. 

The  aroma  and  flavor  of  the  tobacco  depend 
to  a  great  extent  on  the  waxes,  resins  and  oils, 
as  well  as  on  certain  of  the  organic  acids. 

REFERENCES 

U.  S.  DISPENSATORY.     1907   (19th  Edition). 
KISSLING.     The  Chemistry  of  Tobacco.     Scientific 

American  (Supp.)  1905,  Vol.  60,  No.  1560. 
CHUARD  &  MELLETT.     Variation  de  Nicotine  dans 

les   differents   organes   de   la  plante   de   Tabac. 

Comp.  Rend.  Acad.  d.  Sc.   (Paris)    1912.     Vol. 

155,  p.  293. 
PEZZOLATO,  A.     Conferenza  Sulla  Chimica  appli- 

cato  alia  technologia  del  Tobacco.  (Rome.  1903.) 
WOLF,  JACOB.  Der  Tabak  und  die  Tabak  fabri- 

Jcate.     Chapter  III.     Leipzig,  1912. 
SCHLOSSING.     Sur  la  production  de  la  nicotine  par 

la  culture  du   Tabac.      Compt.   Rend.   Acad.   d. 
Sc.  (Paris),  1910.     Vol.  151,  p.  23. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    CURING   OF   TOBACCO   LEAF 

OBJECTS  OF  CURING.     METHODS. 


61 


THE    CURING   OF   TOBACCO   LEAF 

The  "curing"  of  tobacco  leaf  is  the  process 
of  drying  out  which  has  for  its  object  the  fol- 
lowing specific  actions : 

(1)  The  expelling  of  the  sap  and  superfluous 

moisture. 

(2)  The  completion  of  the  "yellowing"  pro- 

cess   and    the    fixing   of   the    desired 
color. 

(3)  The    preservation    of    the    juices,    etc., 

which   give   the   characteristic   flavor 
and  aroma. 

(4)  To    give    the    necessary    toughness    and 

suppleness  to  the  leaf. 

The  first  part  of  the  curing  is  done  by  the 
grower  in  curing  sheds  on  the  farm  immediately 
after  the  cutting  of  the  crop ;  the  final  part,  or 
the  fermentation  part  is  usually  done  by  the 
leaf  dealer  or  manufacturer  in  special  buildings 
called  leaf-houses. 

There  are  three  methods  of  curing  in  use 
by  the  growers,  i.  e.,  sun  curing,  air  curing,  and 
artificial  heat  curing.  In  the  case  of  the 
tobacco  known  as  Perique  the  curing  process  is 
more  or  less  peculiar  to  itself.  "Sun"  and 
"air"  curing  are  much  slower  processes  than 
the  curing  by  artificial  heat. 

63 


All  cigar  leaf  tobacco  is  sun-cured,  and  as  a 
general  rule  pipe  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco 
are  cured  by  artificial  heat. 

For  the  purpose  of  drying  and  curing  by 
artificial  heat,  the  leaf  is  hung  up  in  specially 
constructed  curing  houses  or  sheds.  It  is  found 
that  after  the  exposure  to  the  sun  for  the  first 
process  of  "yellowing"  tobacco  leaf  still  con- 
tains 1  Ib.  of  water  approximately  in  each 
plant.  The  first  part  of  the  process  of  curing 
consists  in  drawing  off  this  superfluous  mois- 
ture. Dry  heat  is  applied  at  a  temperature  of 
90°  F.  to  120°  F.  for  about  16  to  30  hours  to 
effect  this.  A  further  exposure  of  about  48 
hours  at  a  temperature  of  125°  or  so  is  neces- 
sary to  complete  the  curing,  and  fix  the  color. 

The  stems  and  stalks  being  thicker  take  a 
longer  time  and  generally  require  9  to  10  hours 
further  exposure  and  a  temperature  which  may 
range  as  high  as  175°  F.  before  they  are  fully 
cured,  the  temperature  being  graded  hourly 
until  the  maximum  necessary  is  reached. 

The  process  of  curing  varies  considerably  in 
different  states.  Some  growers  prefer  to  put 
the  tobacco  into  the  sheds  immediately  after 
cutting,  and  allow  very  little  exposure  in  the 
fields.  The  temperature  is  usually  kept 
steady  at  about  90°  F.  Again  the  process  is 
different  according  to  the  quality  of  tobacco 


required.  For  the  heavy  type  of  leaf  which  is 
intended  for  the  export  trade,  the  curing  in  the 
sheds  is  done  by  an  open  fire,  the  fuel  being 
usually  hardwood  logs.  The  smoky,  creosotic 
flavor  is  absorbed  by  the  leaf,  and,  although 
this  flavor  is  not  relished  by  the  smokers  of  the 
U.  S.,  it  is  much  liked  in  Europe.  The  curing 
in  such  cases  may  last  for  4  or  even  5  five  days. 
The  tobacco  is  suspended  on  poles  by  the  stalks 
and  the  fires  are  built  on  the  floor  immediately 
under  them  so  that  the  carbonaceous  products 
are  easily  absorbed  by  the  open  pores  of  the 
leaf. 

The  chewing  and  pipe  smoking  tobacco,  as 
well  as  cigarette  tobaccos  including  all  the 
bright  yellow  tobaccos  used  in  the  U.  S.  are 
usually  cured  by  Flue  curing.  In  this  case 
the  heat  comes  from  pipes  which  run  around  the 
curing  houses  and  are  fed  from  a  furnace  in  an 
adj  oining  chamber  or  in  a  cellar.  The  tempera- 
ture can  be  easily  regulated.  "Flue"  curing  is 
generally  completed  in  about  4  days.  "Flue" 
curing  does  not  clog  up  the  pores  of  the  leaf 
which  therefore  remain  more  absorbent  than  in 
the  open  fire  cured  tobacco.  This  is  an  import- 
ant matter  for  the  manufacturers  because  the 
flue  cured  leaf  will  absorb  twice  as  much  of  the 
flavoring  sauces  (which  are  added  to  certain 


65 


kinds  of  tobacco)  than  tabacco  leaf  cured  by 
open  fires. 

Air  exposure  of  6  to  8  weeks  (sometimes  ex- 
tended to  3  or  4  months)  is  necessary  when 
tobacco  is  cured  by  exposure  to  the  sun  and 
air.  It  is  claimed,  however,  that  this  method  of 
curing  preserves  far  better  the  natural  flavor 
of  the  leaf;  and,  where  flavor  and  aroma  are 
highly  important,  this  method  is  always  pre- 
ferred. Hence  all  cigar  leaf  tobaccos  are  cured 
by  exposure  to  natural  sunlight  and  not  by 
artificial  heat. 

"Air"  curing  as  distinct  from  sun  curing  is 
generally  done  in  open  sheds  which  are  thor- 
oughly ventilated  and  kept  as  far  as  possible 
at  a  temperature  of  about  75°  F.  The  leaf  is 
usually  allowed  to  cure  while  attached  to  the 
stalk,  but  Florida  curers  generally  prefer  to 
strip  the  leaf  and  treat  it  separately.  The 
finer  classes  of  pipe  smoking  tobaccos  are  air 
cured. 

After  the  curing  is  completed  the  color  of 
the  leaf  is  usually  fixed.  Generally  speaking, 
the  riper  the  leaf  the  lighter  will  be  its  color 
when  cured.  Thus  the  bottom  leaves  of  the 
plant  will  be  lighter  in  color  than  the  upper 
leaves  because  they  are  more  mature. 

(For  references  see  end  of  Chapter  VIII) 


66 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   MARKETING   AND   SALE    OF 
TOBACCO  LEAF 

METHODS  OF  DISPOSAL  BY  THE  GROWER.     THE 

WAREHOUSE  SYSTEM.     DIRECT  PURCHASE. 

PRINCIPAL  MARKETS  IN  THE  UNITED 

STATES.     PRICES. 


67 


THE   MARKETING   AND    SALE    OF 
TOBACCO  LEAF 

When  the  tobacco  leaf  is  fully  cured  it  is  at 
once  prepared  for  the  market.  The  first  step 
is  the  planters'  classification  of  the  leaf.  In 
the  case  of  pipe  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco 
the  planter  collects  all  the  imperfect,  injured 
leaves,  or  those  inferior  from  any  cause*  and 
ties  them  in  bundles.  These  are  the  planters 
lugs.  All  other  grades  are  leaf.  Slightly  in- 
jured leaves  are  classed  as  low-leaf  or  seconds. 
The  others  are  classed  medium,  good,  fine  and 
selected  leaf,  according  to  grade,  color,  qual- 
ity, etc. 

In  the  case  of  cigar  leaf  tobacco  a  similar 
classification  is  made,  more  care  being  taken 
owing  to  the  very  great  difference  in  price  be- 
tween the  better  and  poorer  qualities.  This 
difference  may  be  as  much  as  20c  in  the  lb.,  the 
finer  and  more  suitable  leaf  being  eagerly 
sought  for. 

Pipe  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco  leaf  is 
usually  packed  in  hogsheads  or  cases  each 
weighing  from  1,000  to  1,400  Ibs.  The  opera- 
tion of  packing  the  leaf  is  called  "prizing." 
Cigar  leaf  is  usually  put  up  in  "hands."  A 
"hand"  consists  of  from  25  to  75  leaves  tied 
together.  Four  hands  tied  together  make  a 

69 


"carrot"  and  80  carrots  go  to  the  bale,  but  the 
size  of  the  bale  varies  considerably.  The  to- 
bacco is  then  ready  for  the  buyer. 

There  are  two  systems  of  disposing  of  the 
planters'  product:  (1)  direct  purchase  by  the 
manufacturer  or  by  a  middleman  from  the 
grower;  and  (2)  what  is  known  as  the  ware- 
house system.  In  the  southern  states  the  ware- 
house system  prevails.  Every  important  to- 
bacco section  in  the  south  has  its  public  ware- 
house which  is  under  the  control  and  super- 
vision of  state  law.  Many  of  these  warehouses 
are  long  established,  that  at  Richmond,  Va., 
dating  as  far  back  as  1730,  and  those  at  Louis- 
ville and  Clarksville  about  1839. 

On  appointed  days  the  planter  brings  his 
leaf  to  the  warehouse.  Here  it  is  entered  as 
"loose  leaf"  or  "inspected  leaf."  In  the  case 
of  loose  leaf,  the  tobacco  is  open  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  prospective  buyers,  who  examine  it  and 
afterwards  bid  on  it,  In  the  case  of  "inspected 
leaf"  the  warehouse  officials  first  examine  the 
consignments,  grade  them  and  mark  them  ac- 
cording to  their  judgment,  taking  samples. 
The  samples  are  open  to  buyers'  inspection  and 
form  the  basis  of  sale.  Tobacco  auctions  are 
regularly  held  when  the  buyers  assemble  and 
bid  on  the  "loose  leaf"  and  "inspected"  lots. 

70 


Prices  of  the  various  grades  are  fixed  and  sales 
take  place  at  the  day's  price. 

The  principal  tobacco  markets  are: 

For  Kentucky  and  Tennessee — At  Louis- 
ville, Clarksville  and  Cincinnati. 

For  Maryland  and  Ohio — At  Baltimore. 

For  North  Carolina — At  Durham  and  Wins- 
ton. 

For  Virginia — At  Richmond. 

The  warehouse  system  has  the  great  ad- 
vantage that  the  proceedings  are  open  and  the 
prices  are  recorded  and  published.  Hence 
growers  can  know  how  the  market  fluctuates 
and  judge  the  best  time  for  sale.  This  is  not 
the  case  when  the  sale  is  private  between  the 
buyer  and  seller  as  is  customary  in  the  eastern 
and  northern  states.  Here  the  price  actually 
received  by  the  grower  is  often  different  from 
that  given  out  as  paid. 

The  price  of  tobacco  leaf  has  had  many 
vicissitudes  during  the  past  25  years,  the  price 
often  having  reached  so  low  a  point  as  to  dis- 
courage producers.  Thus  at  Winston,  N.  C., 
the  price  has  gradually  fallen  from  12. 3c  per 
Ib.  in  1889  to  6.3c  in  1896.  In  the  same  period 
Burley  leaf  at  Louisville  and  Cincinnati  fell 
from  lOc  to  7%c.  Prices  similarly  dropped 
in  other  centers.  The  price  of  cigar  leaf  has 
latterly  increased.  In  1900  prices  ran  from 

71 


6  to  15  cents;  in  1905  from  8  to  17  cents. 
Many  conditions  at  home  and  abroad  affect  the 
price,  such  as  bad  harvests  or  inferior  grades 
of  produce. 

The  tobacco  trust  has  been  very  unjustly 
blamed  by  many  for  the  falling  price  of  tobacco. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  and  record,  however,  the 
concentration  of  buying  power  by  eliminating 
the  middleman  and  the  small  dealers  has  not 
only  placed  the  grower  in  a  better  position  by 
giving  him  a  better  price,  as  recent  records 
show,  but  it  has  benefited  the  consumer  also 
who  can  obtain  the  superior  grades  at  a  lower 
price.  It  is  the  middleman's  profit  that  has 
been  cut.  Moreover,  the  concentrated  buying 
power  of  the  large  interests  here  has  been  an 
effective  force  in  keeping  up  tobacco  leaf  prices 
against  the  foreign  buyers.  It  must  be  re- 
membered that  about  half  of  our  crop  is  ex- 
ported. The  buyers  of  this  portion,  who  are 
principally  the  agents  of  foreign  governments 
(in  the  cases  where  tobacco  is  a  government 
monopoly  as  in  France,  Italy,  etc.)  assemble 
at  the  auctions  and  bid  in  the  usual  way.  As 
this  competition  is  very  limited  there  is  always 
an  opportunity  for  such  buyers  to  agree  among 
themselves  as  to  the  limit  of  prices.  This  has 
been  one  of  the  important  factors  which  has 
kept  the  prices  of  tobacco  leaf  down.  The  con- 

72 


centration  of  American  buying  power  has,  how- 
ever, been  a  formidable  check  on  it,  the  prices 
received  by  the  growers  being  now  fair  and 
reasonable,  and  such  as  are  the  result  of  a 
healthy  market,  where  the  factors  of  supply 
and  demand  have  their  full  share  of  effect. 

The  government  statistics  show  that  for  1914 
the  prices  of  leaf  varied  from  5.5c  to  20c  for 
common  to  good  varieties. 

(For  references  see  end  of  Chapter  VIII) 


CHAPTER  VIII 

REHANDLING  AND  FERMENTATION 

OF  TOBACCO  LEAF  PRIOR  TO 

MANUFACTURE 

SELECTION  OF  LEAF.     TREATMENT  AND  BLEND- 
ING.    OBJECTS  AND  METHODS   OF  FER- 
MENTATION.    ACTION  OF  MICROBES. 


75 


REHANDLING  AND  FERMENTATION 

OF  TOBACCO  LEAF  PRIOR  TO 

MANUFACTURE 

We  have  seen  how  the  tobacco  passes  from 
the  grower  to  the  manufacturer  or  leaf  dealer. 
Before  it  is  fitted,  however,  for  manufacture 
into  cigars  or  other  finished  products  the  leaf 
must  go  through  many  processes,  the  most  im- 
portant of  which  is  fermentation.  These  pro- 
cesses, which  are  usually  known  as  rehandling, 
are  carried  out  in  special  buildings  which  are 
called  leaf  houses  and  stemmeries.  The  pro- 
cedures in  different  leaf  houses  may  vary  some- 
what, but  the  general  principles  and  objects  in 
view  are  the  same  in  all.  Moreover,  the  treat- 
ment is  different,  according  to  the  ulterior  dis- 
position of  the  leaf,  i.  e.  whether  intended  for 
cigars,  pipe  smoking  or  other  product. 

The  general  treatment  as  carried  out  in  large 
establishments  is  about  as  follows: 

The  leaf  as  soon  as  it  is  received  whether  in 
casks,  cases,  bales,  or  otherwise  is  opened  up 
and  inspected  in  the  casing  room.  Large  con- 
cerns which  manufacture  or  deal  in  cigar  and 
other  kinds  of  leaf,  sort  out  the  different  kinds 
suitable  for  each  class  of  product,  i.  e.  wrap- 
pers, fillers,  binders,  cigarette  leaf,  plug  leaf, 

77 


etc.  These  are  distributed  to  either  special 
houses  or  departments.  The  tobacco  leaf  when 
first  received  is  usually  dry  and  brittle.  The 
bundles  are  carefully  opened  up  and  the  leaves 
loosened  and  spread  out  on  large  trucks  where 
they  are  sprayed  with  water.  When  the  leaf 
has  soaked  the  water  and  is  pliable  it  undergoes 
a  sorting  which  is  done  by  selecting  leaves  from 
different  cases  or  even  bundles  of  leaves  and  in 
a  general  way  arranging  them  so  that  each 
truckfull  represents  a  blend  of  the  different 
kinds  of  leaf  which  are  suitable  for  the  purpose 
in  view.  These  sorted  packages  are  then  rough- 
ly fastened  together  and  after  being  again 
sprinkled  thoroughly  are  sent  to  the  "sweating" 
room  to  undergo  fermentation  which  may  last 
several  weeks.  The  temperature  of  this  room 
must  be  carefully  regulated  and  is  usually  kept 
at  about  90°  F. 

The  selection  and  blending  of  the  different 
kinds  of  leaf  is  most  important.  It  requires 
accurate  and  expert  knowledge  in  choosing 
leaves  and  kinds  possessing  different  strengths 
and  other  qualities  and  in  combining  them  in 
such  proportions  that  the  final  effect  of  the 
blend  gives  just  what  is  required. 

It  is  particularly  in  this  expert  treatment  of 
the  leaf  before  manufacture  that  the  greatest 
advance  has  been  made  in  the  tobacco  industry. 

78 


The  smoker  has  the  advantage  and  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  not  only  does  he  get  the  benefit 
of  improved  scientific  knowledge  and  sanitary 
conditions  by  which  anything  that  might  be 
harmful  or  undesirable  is  removed,  but  that 
handling  the  leaf  in  large  quantities  effects 
great  economics  and  procures  for  him  the  bene- 
fit of  choicest  selected  grades  at  a  reduced  cost. 

It  may  be  said  here  incidentally  that  leaves 
of  the  very  best  tobaccos  which  are  defective 
merely  in  size,  or  color,  etc.,  are  put  through 
exactly  the  same  processes  as  the  choicer 
quality  leaves,  and  are  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  the  popular  priced  machine-made  "little 
cigars"  and  "cheroots." 

It  will  be  necessary  now  to  digress  for  a 
short  time  and  consider  what  happens  during 
the  process  of  fermentation. 

FEEMENTATION  OF  TOBACCO 
The  fermenting  of  tobacco  leaf  has  for  its 
principal  objects,  (1)  the  removal  of  acrid 
matters,  (2)  the  fixing  of  the  color,  and  (3) 
the  production  of  flavor.  Fermentation  can 
only  take  place  under  suitable  conditions  of  heat 
and  moisture,  and  is  essentially  a  chemical  pro- 
cess during  which  certain  organic  compounds 
stored  in  the  plant  are  split  up  and  others 
formed. 

79 


A  certain  amount  of  fermentation  takes  place 
in  the  curing  houses  during  the  "yellowing"  of 
the  leaf  after  it  has  been  harvested,  but  as  we 
have  seen  the  main  process  of  fermentation  does 
not  occur  until  it  is  "rehandled"  by  the  manu- 
facturers. 

The  general  opinion  held  at  present  as  the 
result  of  investigation  is  that  the  transforma- 
tions which  are  effected  in  the  leaf  are  purely 
the  result  of  chemical  processes.  As  the  plant 
slowly  dies  and  decomposes  special  ferments 
are  produced.  These  ferments  set  up  an  oxi- 
dization process  which  splits  up  the  complex 
organic  compounds  which  still  exist  in  the  leaf 
cells.  The  starch  in  the  plant  is  changed  into 
sugar  which  is  slowly  consumed.  There  is  a  de- 
crease in  the  fats  and  gummy  substances,  also 
in  nicotine  and  nitrogenous  compounds,  and 
there  is  a  formation  of  certain  organic  acids 
such  as  malic,  citric  and  oxalic  which  are 
essential  in  the  production  of  flavor.  Briefly  it 
may  be  said  that  the  process  is  an  attempt  by 
the  plant  to  prolong  its  existence  by  feeding  on 
its  own  substance,  by  drawing  on  its  own  re- 
serves and  on  its  own  structure  for  the  food 
which  its  cells  no  longer  receive  through  the 
natural  growing  process.  When  the  struggle 
is  over  the  "fermentation"  is  complete.  The 
necessity  for  maturing  tobacco  has  long  been 

80 


known  but  the  exact  nature  of  the  changes  that 
take  place  during  the  process  were  not  under- 
stood. Since  the  discoveries  of  Louis  Pasteur 
regarding  the  part  played  by  bacteria  in  gen- 
eral fermentative  processes  it  has  been  generally 
claimed  by  bacteriologists  that  the  changes 
wrought  in  the  leaf  and  the  production  of  flavor 
are  solely  the  work  of  bacteria.  Although  this 
view  has  not  been  proved  it  has  never  been 
fully  disproved,  and  there  appears  to  be  no 
doubt  that  the  microbes  known  to  exist  in  the 
leaf  during  the  fermentation  process  play  an 
important  part  in  the  process.  Fermentation 
can  only  take  place  as  stated  under  suitable 
conditions  of  heat  and  moisture  and  these  are 
the  conditions  which  favor  the  development  of 
microbes  and  enable  them  to  work.  The  results 
obtained  are  probably  partially  due  to  chemical 
action  and  partly  to  bacterial  action,  the  two 
being  complementary  to  each  other. 

In  1899  Suchsland,  a  German  scientist, 
startled  the  tobacco  world  by  asserting  that 
the  flavor  of  tobacco  was  in  no  way  due  to  the 
effects  of  the  soil  and  climate  where  it  was 
grown,  but  was  solely  due  to  microbic  action, 
and  that  the  specific  flavor  and  aroma  of  any 
given  tobacco  could  be  artificially  produced  by 
the  cultivation  of  selected  bacteria  and  allowing 
the  tobacco  to  cure  and  ferment  under  their  ac- 

81 


tion.  He  conducted  a  series  of  experimental 
investigations  in  which  he  searched  for  and  iso- 
lated the  specific  microbes  found  in  the  best 
West  Indian  tobacco.  From  these  he  made 
artificial  cultures  and  introduced  them  into 
heaps  of  inferior,  coarse  German  tobacco  which 
was  undergoing  curing.  His  results  were  such 
that  the  smoking  quality  of  the  leaf  was  entirely 
changed.  It  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  the  best  Cuban  tobacco  and  experts  and 
connoisseurs  failed  to  identify  the  product  as 
German  tobacco.  A  company  was  formed  to 
exploit  the  new  ideas  commercially,  but  it  does 
not  appear  to  have  met  with  success.  Other 
investigations  failed  to  obtain  Suchsland's  re- 
sults and  extensive  investigation  in  the  Agri- 
cultural Experimental  Station  in  the  United 
States  have  not  up  to  now  produced  any  results 
confirmatory  of  the  theory. 

We  can  now  proceed  to  follow  the  course  of 
the  tobacco  in  its  peregrinations  through  the 
leaf  house. 

On  their  return  from  the  first  fermentation 
the  bundles  go  to  the  picking  department. 
Leaves  which  are  damaged  or  unsuitable  in  any 
way  are  here  picked  out  and  put  aside  to  be  used 
in  the  cheaper  grades.  The  leaves  are  then  sub- 
jected to  a  thorough  cleaning  to  remove 
particles  of  sand,  clay,  etc.,  packed  tightly  in 


bundles  and  returned  to  the  sweating  depart- 
ment to  undergo  further  fermentation  and  to 
allow  for  a  thorough  interchange  of  the  aroma 
of  the  different  blends.  In  due  course  the 
bundles  pass  to  the  stemming  department  for 
the  removal  of  the  midribs  which  usually  form 
nearly  one-third  of  the  entire  weight.  The  re- 
sulting half  leaves  are  then  arranged  in  piles 
of  50,  each  pile  forming  a  "book." 

From  the  stemming  department  the  books 
pass  to  the  drying  room  where  any  superfluous 
moisture  is  removed  by  hot  air  currents. 

From  the  drying  room  the  books  pass  to  the 
ordering  room  where  they  undergo  inspection 
for  color,  size  etc.,  and  subjected  to  further 
treatment  if  necessary.  Here  they  are  finally 
packed  in  cases  and  stored  for  several  months 
to  allow  perfect  and  uniform  blending  after 
which  they  are  ready  for  shipment  to  the  fac- 
tory. Filler  leaf  for  the  finest  cigars  may 
stand  in  these  cases  for  two  or  three  years. 

Leaf  which  is  intended  for  chewing  or  pipe 
smoking  is  not  subjected  to  so  great  an  elabora- 
tion of  processes  as  cigar  leaf,  as  the  matters 
of  uniformity  of  color,  and  delicacy  as  well  as 
individuality  of  aroma  are  not  of  such  great 
importance.  Usually  such  tobacco  leaf  is  fer- 
mented in  bulk,  and  the  removal  of  the  stems 
is  done  before  the  principal  fermentation. 

83 


After  the  preliminary  selection  of  varieties, 
sorting,  stemming  and  cleaning,  the  leaf  is 
dipped  into  large  vats  containing  flavors;  and 
after  drying  are  subjected  to  steaming.  They 
are  then  packed  away  in  bulk  in  the  sweating 
department  where  they  slowly  ferment  until 
required  for  use.  These  "bulks"  or  stacks  may 
contain  many  tons  of  leaf.  They  require  con- 
stant turning  over,  etc.  Indeed  it  may  be  said 
that  every  step  in  these  processes  requires  con- 
stant care.  Temperature,  moisture,  length  of 
exposure,  etc.,  must  all  be  carefully  seen  to. 
Otherwise  the  tobacco  will  spoil. 

In  the  case  of  tobacco  leaf  intended  for  ex- 
port trade  rehandling  consists  mainly  of  stem- 
ming and  removal  of  moisture.  This  is  done 
before  shipment  in  order  to  reduce  the  weight 
as  customs  duty  is  levied  in  accordance  with 
the  weight  of  the  imported  packages  in  the 
countries  importing. 

REFERENCES 

U.  S.  DEPART.  OF  AGRIC.  Farmers'  Bulletins  6  and 
60. 

LAUREUT,  L.  Le  Tabac,  sa  culture  et  sa  prepara- 
tion, production  et  consommation.  Paris^  IQOO. 

BOUANT,  E.  Le  Tabac;  culture  et  Industrie.  Paris, 
1901. 


BOEKHOUT  UND  DE  VmES.  Uber  T  abac  fermenta- 
tion. "Centralbl.  f.  Bakter,"  1909-  2  Abteil. 
Vol.  24,  p.  496. 

LOEW,  O.  Sind  Bakterien  die  Ursache  der  Tabak- 
fermentation?  "Centralbl.  f.  Bakter/'  1909- 
Vol.  6,  p.  108. 

KILLEBREW  AND  MvRicK.  Tobacco  Leaf.  Part  I. 
New  York,  1897. 

SUCHSLANL,  E.  Bobachtungen  iiber  die  Selbster- 
warmung  des  fermentrerenden  Tabaks.  In 
"Festschrift  200-Jahr  Jubel.  d.  Verein.  Fried- 
richs  Universit."  Halle- Wittenberg,  1894. 

WOLF,  JAKOB.  Der  Tabak  und  die  Tabakfabri- 
kate.  Chapter  IV.  Leipzig,  1912. 

HOAGLAND,  J.  G.  The  Tobacco  Industry.  In 
Quarterly  of  the  Nat.  Fire  Protec.  Assn.,  1907. 
Vol.  1,  Nos.  2  and  4. 

JACOBSTEIN,  M.  The  Tobacco  Industry  in  the 
U.  S.  Chapter  II.  New  York,  1907. 


85 


CHAPTER  IX 

MANUFACTURED  PRODUCTS  OF  TO- 
BACCO IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

STATISTICS  OF  PRODUCTION  AND  CONSUMPTION, 
AMOUNT  OF  CAPITAL  INVESTED,  ETC. 


87 


MANUFACTURED  PRODUCTS  OF  TO- 
BACCO. GENERAL  REMARKS 

The  importance  and  magnitude  of  the  to- 
bacco manufacturing  industry  in  the  United 
States  will  be  best  understood  from  a  considera- 
tion of  the  following  statistics  taken  from  the 
latest  available  government  records : 

(For  all  Manufactured  Products) 
Cost  of  materials  used.  .  (1905)  =$126,000,000 

(1909)=  177,000,000 

Value  of  the  product.  .  .  (1905)=  331,000,000 

(1909)=  417,000,000 

No.  of  establishments.  .(1905)=  16,828 

(1909)=  15,822 
No.     of    persons     em- 
ployed,    more     than 
one-third   being   wo- 
men     (1905)=           160,000 

(1909)=  197,000 

The  figures  are  given  in  round  numbers.  The 
total  capital  invested  in  this  industry  is  be- 
tween $300,000,000  and  $400,000,000. 

There  are  more  than  one  and  a  quarter  mil- 
lions acres  in  the  U.  S.  under  cultivation  of 
tobacco  which  yields  a  crop  at  present  approxi- 
mating to  1,000  million  Ibs.  of  leaf  annually. 

The  industry  shows  an  absolutely  increasing 
condition  in  every  particular  at  each  census. 

89 


During  the  past  45  years  the  value  of  the  pro- 
duct has  increased  more  than  $300,000,000. 

In  addition  to  the  trade  in  manufacturing  in 
the  U.  S.  there  is  the  export  trade  principally 
in  unmanufactured  leaf.  This  amounts  at 
present  to  about  $54,000,000  annually.  The 
price  of  export  leaf  has  been  continuously  in- 
creasing despite  of  the  fact  that  the  produc- 
tion of  leaf  abroad  is  increasing.  Thus  in  1886 
the  average  export  price  of  leaf  from  the  U.  S. 
was  S^c  per  Ib.  In  1914  it  was  more  than  12c. 

The  following  statement  shows  at  a  glance 
the  marvelous  increase  in  the  tobacco  industry : 

Comparative  Statement  of  Manufactured  To- 
bacco in  the  U.  S.  (all  products) 

Capital     No.   of  persons  Value  of 

invested.  employed.  product. 

Year   1880   $  39,000,000  86,000  $126,000,000 

Year   1890    90,000,000  117,000  195,000,000 

Year  1900    111,000,000  142,000  264,000,000 

Year  1905    324,000,000  159,000  330,000,000 

Year  1909   197,000  417,000,000 

In  addition  to  the  number  of  persons  em- 
ployed in  manufacturing  we  must  take  into  ac- 
count those  employed  (as  well  as  the  capital 
invested)  in  the  agricultural  and  distributing 
ends. 

The  export  manufacturing  trade  is  not  im- 
portant, being  only  valued  at  about  3  million 
dollars  annually. 

90 


The  value  of  the  home  manufactured  pro- 
ducts which  in  1905  was  shown  at  $330,000,000 
is  distributed  as  follows. 

Cigars $198,000,000 

Cigarettes 16,000,000 

Chewing  and  smoking  tobaccos  .  .    109,000,000 

Snuff 6,000,000 

Other  products 1,000,000 

Total   $330,000,000 

For  the  increase  in  the  present  value  of  the 
product  these  figures  would  be  proportionately 
increased. 

In  the  year  1913  the  United  States  exported 
about  350  million  Ibs.  of  unmanufactured  to- 
bacco leaf,  and  in  1914,  4*49  million  Ibs.     This 
was  distributed  as  follows : 
To  Great  Britain  and  Ireland     174  million  Ibs. 

To  Canada 17        " 

To  France 55        "         " 

To  Germany 32        " 

To  Italy   45 

To  Netherlands    28        " 

To  Spain 17        "          " 

To  Japan    16 

To  China    11        "          " 

To  Belgium 11        "         " 

To  Africa,  Australia,  etc 43        "          " 

Total 449        " 

91 


The  largest  export  manufacturing  trade  was 
to  Asia,  the  cigarettes  exported  there  having  a 
value  of  2%  million  dollars. 

The  consumption  of  manufacturing  products 
of  tobacco  in  the  U.  S.  has  increased  continu- 
ously since  1863  when  it  was  1.6  Ibs.  per  head  to 
the  present  time  when  it  is  5%  Ibs.  per  head  of 
the  total  population.  This  works  out  at  about 
16  Ibs.  per  head  for  each  male  over  16  years. 
The  consumption  of  tobacco  in  the  U.  S.  is  high- 
er than  in  any  other  country  and  has  increased 
more  rapidly.  For  the  past  40  years  the  con- 
sumption per  head  in  U.  S.  has  increased  240%  ; 
in  England  56%  ;  in  France  24%  ;  in  Germany 
23%.  From  this  fact  different  deductions 
might  be  made.  It  may  be  that  the  Americans 
smoke  more  because  they  are  fonder  of  tobacco 
than  Europeans;  or  because  they  get  better 
and  cheaper  tobacco ;  or  because  they  can  bet- 
ter afford  to  buy  tobacco.  The  greatest  per- 
centage of  increase  in  the  United  States  is  in 
the  consumption  of  cigars. 

The  manufactured  products   are   classed   as 
(1)  cigars,  (2)  pipe  smoking  and  chewing  to- 
baccos, (3)  cigarettes,  (4)  snuff.     To  each  of 
these  separate  chapters  will  be  devoted. 
(For  references  see  Chapter  XV) 


CHAPTER  X 

CIGARS.     HISTORICAL  AND  GENERAL 
FACTS 

HISTORY.      STATISTICAL  INFORMATION   REGARD- 
ING   THE    CIGAR    BUSINESS    IN    THE 

UNITED  STATES 


CIGARS.     HISTORICAL  AND  GENERAL 
FACTS 

When  the  Spaniards  landed  for  the  first  time 
on  American  soil  they  found  the  natives  smok- 
ing the  rolled-up  tobacco  leaves,  that  is  a  cigar. 
For  a  cigar  is  nothing  more,  four  centuries 
having  made  little  change  in  the  Cuban  cigar. 
The  word  cigar  is  most  probably  derived  from 
the  Spanish  word  cigarer — to  roll.  Other  deri- 
vations are  given,  but  this  seems  etymologically 
the  correct  one;  and  we  will  rest  content  with 
it.  In  Spanish  America  to  the  present  day  the 
custom  of  smoking  tobacco  in  the  rolled  form, 
either  as  cigars  or  cigarettes,  prevails,  rather 
than  the  custom  of  smoking  in  pipes  which  was 
the  method  of  the  northern  aborigines  from 
whom  the  English  colonists  adopted  it.  Smok- 
ing was  introduced  into  Spain  in  the  cigar  form 
and  into  England  in  the  pipe  fcrm.  Cigars, 
however,  at  the  present  time,  both  in  North  and 
South  America,  form  the  principal  item  in  the 
tobacco  account  of  the  people;  we  shall  there- 
fore enter  somewhat  fully  into  matters  con- 
cerning their  manufacture,  etc. 

Although,  as  stated,  it  is  in  the  cigar  form 
that  smoking  was  introduced  into  Spain,  it  was 
not  till  about  1790  that  cigars  were  used 
generally  in  Europe.  A  factory  for  the  manu- 

95 


facture  of  cigars  was  established  at  Hamburg 
in  1796.  The  custom  did  not  spread  rapidly 
and  did  not  reach  any  considerable  proportion 
in  England  till  about  1830  when  the  high  duties 
were  considerably  reduced. 

Cigar  making  has  always  been  a  staple  in- 
dustry in  Cuba.  It  was  there  when  the  Euro- 
peans landed  and  it  is  there  still.  Its  record  is 
unbroken.  There  was  always  a  greater  or  lesser 
exportation  to  Europe  and  elsewhere. 

THE,  CIGAR   BUSINESS   OF   THE  U.   S. 

Of  the  various  manufactured  products  of 
tobacco  leaf,  the  cigar  trade  is  the  most  im- 
portant in  the  U.  S.,  its  value  being  greater 
than  that  of  all  other  tobacco  products  com- 
bined. 

The  magnitude  of  this  branch  of  the  tobacco 
business  may  be  gauged  when  we  state  that  at 
the  present  time  there  are  made  annually  in 
the  U.  S.  cigars  of  all  kinds  to  the  amount  of 
about  81/2  billions.  The  Census  Bureau  Report 
for  1912  shows  that  for  that  year  the  number 
of  full-sized  cigars  made  and  on  which  tax  was 
paid  was  in  round  numbers  7,500,000,000,  and 
of  "little  cigars,"  that  is  under  the  regular  size, 
about  1,000,000,000.  These  figures  are  cer- 
tainly stupendous,  particularly  when  we  con- 
sider that,  in  addition,  at  least  several  hundred 

96 


more  were  imported  and  that  only  about 
2,000,000  were  exported.  Uncle  Sam  evidently 
likes  to  smoke  cigars. 

To  make  these  cigars  requires  a  consumption 
of  136  million  Ibs.  of  cigar  leaf.  Nearly  50 
million  Ibs.  of  this  is  imported  at  a  gross  cost 
(exclusive  of  duties)  of  about  35  million  dol- 
lars, the  rest  of  the  leaf  is  home  grown.  The 
principal  imports  are  from  Cuba.  In  1912  we 
imported  cigar  leaf  from  Cuba  in  amount  nearly 
23  million  Ibs.  and  in  1913  this  increased  to 
over  27  million  Ibs.  valued  at  more  than  16 
million  dollars.  The  imports  of  East  Indian 
(Sumatran)  leaf  varies  from  6  to  8  million  Ibs. 
and  costs  from  7  to  8  million  dollars. 

Although  the  amount  of  imported  leaf  used 
in  cigar  making  shows  a  steady  increase,  being 
,  now  more  than  50%  greater  than  a  decade  ago, 
yet  the  proportion  of  foreign  leaf  to  home- 
grown leaf  in  the  whole  manufacture  shows  a 
steady  decrease.  This  speaks  well  for  the  im- 
proving quality  of  American  grown  leaf. 

There  are  in  the  United  States  about  26,000 
cigar  factories,  both  large  and  small.  The  large 
number  of  establishments  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
cigar  making  is  still  to  a  large  extent  a  hand- 
making  industry.  About  135,000  persons  arc- 
directly  employed  in  the  manufacture,  nearly 
half  of  whom  are  women.  The  capital  engaged 

97 


in  the  business  is  reported  as  150  millions  and 
the  value  of  the  product  200  million  dollars 
annually.  The  actual  consumer  pays  about  300 
million  dollars  for  the  cigars  smoked,  the  dif- 
ference between  the  cost  of  the  product  and  the 
latter  figure  being  the  expense  and  profit  of  the 
retail  handlers.  The  enormous  growth  of  the 
cigar  trade  is  seen  when  it  is  compared  with 
1860.  In  that  year  the  annual  value  of  this 
product  was  only  9  million  dollars.  The  two 
states  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  are  the 
centers  of  cigar  manufacture.  Between  them 
they  make  nearly  half  of  the  entire  product, 
Pennsylvania  leading  with  about  two  thousand 
million  cigars  annually.  Florida  makes  about 
300  million.  The  price  paid  by  the  consumer 
works  out  to  an  average  of  about  4c  for  each 
cigar. 


98 


CHAPTER  XI 

CIGAR  MAKING 

HAND-MADE   CIGARS.      MACHINE-MADE    CIGARS. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  CIGARS.     TERMS  USED 

IN  THE  CIGAR  TRADE 


CIGAR  MAKING 

It  was  inevitable  that  modern  progress  should 
invade  and  revolutionize  the  old  and  slow 
methods  of  cigar  making ;  and  so  it  has.  Smok- 
ing is  a  sentimental  occupation  and  lends  itself 
easily  to  romantic  associations.  A  good  deal 
of  romance  and  sentiment  still  hangs  around  the 
hand-made  cigar  and  cigarette.  In  an  up-to- 
date  cigar  factory,  however,  the  whir  of  ma- 
chinery and  the  precise,  regular  movements  of 
automatic  contrivances  give  little  scope  for 
sentiment. 

Up  to  1870  cigars  were  hand-made.  All  that 
was  necessary  was  an  inexpensive  board,  a  cut- 
ting knife,  and  a  block  of  wood  with  a  station- 
ary knife,  known  as  a  "tuck,"  for  measuring  and 
cutting  the  finished  cigar. 

About  the  time  stated  the  "mold"  was  intro- 
duced. The  mold  is  a  wooden  block  about 
18"  x  6"  x  3",  a  tool  which  facilitates  the  shap- 
ing of  the  "bunch"  or  filler  part  of  the  cigar 
and  presses  it  into  shape.  This  mold  is  now 
used  in  most  "hand-made"  cigar  factories  where 
the  labor  is  subdivided  into  "bunch-makers" 
and  "rollers,"  the  latter  putting  on  the  binder 
and  wrapper  and  finishing  the  cigar. 

It  is  the  introduction  of  practically  auto- 
matic machinery,  however,  which  is  revolutioniz- 

101 


ing  the  cigar-making  business,  and  slowly  but 
surely  driving  the  "hand-made"  cigar  into  the 
position  occupied  by  the  "hand-made"  cigar- 
ette. And  the  writer  cannot  see  why  this  should 
not  be  so.  As  it  has  been  said,  there  is  much 
sentiment  about  hand-made  cigars.  But  com- 
mon sense  seems  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  ma- 
chine. We  quite  understand  the  difficulty  of 
killing  old  prejudices  and  time  honored  cus- 
toms; but  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  the 
flavor  or  quality  of  a  cigar  filler  can  be  different 
whether  it  is  pressed  into  the  shape  by  a  ma- 
chine or  by  the  hand  of  a  workman;  or  what 
the  precise  improvement  is  when  a  wrapper  leaf 
is  put  on  and  licked  by  a  workman  rather  than 
by  a  clean  machine  under  perfect  sanitary  con- 
ditions. However,  sentiment  still  persists.  Im- 
aginary, or  perhaps  real,  charms  are  ascribed 
to  the  hand-made  goods  and  the  smoker  is  will- 
ing and  even  wishful  to  pay  a  higher  price  for 
his  fancy.  The  result  is  that  the  small  factory 
is  still  predominant.  It  depends  more  on  labor 
than  on  capital.  But  the  large  factories  have  an 
immense  production.  The  condition  will  be 
best  shown  by  stating  that  in  less  than  1  per 
cent  of  the  cigar  making  establishments  of  the 
U.  S.  nearly  50  per  cent  of  the  entire  output 
is  made,  or,  putting  it  another  way,  nearly 
three-fourths  of  all  the  licensed  cigar  factories 

102 


produced  less  than  one-tenth  of  the  product. 
Of  the  26,000  establishments  in  the  U.  S.  only 
in  2  is  the  annual  output  more  than  50  million 
and  in  27  the  output  runs  from  25  to  50  mil- 
lion. Pennsylvania  establishments,  principally 
in  Philadelphia,  produce  28%  of  the  entire 
U.  S.  cigar  output ;  New  York  State,  principal- 
ly New  York  City,  comes  next  with  about  20%  ; 
and  Ohio,  principally  Cincinnati,  third  with 
about  8%. 

For  machine-made  goods  the  principal  ma- 
chines used  are  the  bunch  rollers  and  the  suc- 
tion table.  The  former  rolls  the  bunch  of  filler 
leaves  and  presses  them  into  shape.  The  suc- 
tion table  is  used  for  wrapping  the  cigar.  The 
operator  places  the  wrapper  leaf  on  a  per- 
forated plate.  By  pressing  a  foot  lever  a 
vacuum  is  created  beneath  this  plate  which 
holds  the  leaf  smooth  and  snug  against  the 
table.  The  perforated  plate  is  exactly  the 
form  which  the  wrapper  must  be  to  properly 
fit  the  cigar.  It  is  easily  cut  around  and 
trimmed  to  shape.  The  bunch  from  the  bunch 
roller  is  then  quickly  encased  in  the  wrapper. 
Human  labor  is  necessary  only  to  feed  the  ma- 
chines and  to  spread  the  wrappers.  25,000 
bunches  can  easily  be  wrapped  in  a  week  at  a 
cost  of  $6  to  $9  for  labor  (principally  female) 
and  the  upkeep  of  the  machine,  This  in  labor 

103 


alone  would  formerly  cost  as  much  as  $75.00. 
In  the  smaller  "hand-made"  factories,  the 
method  of  procedure  is  about  as  follows :  The 
leaf  on  receipt  is  opened  and  moistened.  The 
"filler"  leaf  is  separated  from  the  wrapper.  The 
filler  leaf  is  made  up  into  "books,"  a  "book" 
being  a  bunch  of  leaves  suitable  for  one  cigar. 
The  loose  books  are  then  allowed  to  ferment 
for  a  week  or  so  when  they  are  ready  for  use. 
The  bunchmaker  selects  and  arranges  his  leaves 
from  each  book,  selects  his  binder  and  rolls  the 
whole  into  cigar  form.  If  a  mold  is  used  he 
puts  the  bunch  in  a  matrix  of  the  mold  and 
fastens  down  the  cover  until  the  leaves  are 
pressed  into  shape.  They  then  go  to  the  wrap- 
per man  and  are  wrapped  either  by  machine  or 
by  hand,  according  to  the  class  of  goods.  The 
wrapping  is  begun  at  the  lighting  end  and 
finished  at  the  point  which  is  called  the  head. 
After  trimming  to  gauge,  the  cigar  is  ready  for 
inspection  and  classification  according  to  color, 
etc.,  and  for  banding. 

Cigars  according  to  their  manufacture  are 
classed  for  trade  purposes  in  various  ways. 
The  trade  nomenclature  embraces  the  following 
descriptions:  Cigars,  little  cigars,  all-tobacco 
cigars,  stogies  and  cheroots. 


104. 


Cigars  proper  have  many  subdivisions: 

(1)  IMPORTED  CIGARS.     This  term  is  usually 

confined  to  cigars  made  in  Cuba,  and 
does  not  include  Porto  Rican  or  Philip- 
pines. 

(2)  PORTO  Rico  CIGARS.)  Used  for  cigars  made 

(3)  PHILIPPINE  CIGARS,  j  in  those  places. 

(4)  CLEAR   HAVANAS.      This   term   denotes    a 

cigar  made  by  hand  in  the  U.  S.  of 
Cuban  tobacco  exclusively  and  in  the 
same  style  as  in  Cuba. 

(5)  SEED  AND  HAVANA.    Up  to  about  50  years 

ago  there  were  no  clear  Havanas  made 
in  the  U.  S.,  the  best  produced  being 
a  combination  of  Havana  leaf  and  leaf 
grown  in  the  states  from  imported 
Havana  seed.  Hence  the  term  which 
ordinarily  means  an  American  made 
cigar,  the  filler  being  wholly  or  partly 
of  Cuban  tobacco  and  the  wrapper,  a 
domestic  or  Sumatran  leaf. 

(6)  DOMESTIC  CIGARS.     This  term  is  used  for 

cigars  made  in  the  U.  S.  in  contra-dis- 
tinction  to  imported  cigars. 

(7)  NICKEL  GOODS.     Ordinary  5c  cigars  made 

either  entirely  of  domestic  tobacco  or 
with  a  Sumatran  wrapper,  and  usually 
made  partly  or  wholly  by  machine.  It 
also  usually  includes  "segundos"  or 

105 


"seconds,"  i.  e.,  cigars  of  a  better  type 
made  to  sell  at  higher  prices  but  which 
on  account  of  some  defect  are  rejected 
on  inspection.  Sometimes  clear  Havanas 
made  of  scrap  filler  and  inferior  wrap- 
per are  included.  These  cigars  have  a 
vast  variety  of  designations  and  make 
up  the  general  stock  of  most  cigar 
stores.  The  cost  of  production  does  not 
usually  exceed  $20.00  per  thousand  and 
they  sell  to  dealers  at  from  $25.00  to 
$30.00 

(8)  STOGIES,  TOBIES,  ETC.  CHEROOTS.  Cigar 
shaped  rolls  of  cheap  domestic  tobacco 
made  quickly  by  machine,  and  of  various 
sizes.  Cheroots  are  open  at  both  ends. 
The  filler  of  stogies  is  usually  a  western 
grown  leaf  of  full  size,  but  rough  qual- 
ity. They  are  manufactured  principal- 
ly in  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  Pittsburgh, 
Wheeling,  etc. 

One  of  the  large  tobacco  companies  operates 
about  25  large  cigar  factories  in  various  centers 
of  the  U.  S.  Here  are  made  all  classes  of 
domestic  cigars,  but  all  are  made  under  the 
same  conditions  of  sanitation,  economic  hand- 
ling and  strict  supervision.  The  leaf  is  pre- 
pared, selected,  fermented,  blended,  etc.,  in  the 
company's  own  special  leaf  houses  and  is  des- 

106 


patched  to  the  various  factories  as  needed.  All 
the  better  class  of  domestic  cigars  are  hand- 
made, machinery  being  used  in  making  the 
cheaper  grades.  There  are  special  factories 
for  the  making  of  "little  cigars,"  of  which  a 
vast  number  are  made  on  account  of  their 
popularity.  These  include  the  package  goods 
and  those  put  up  in  cardboard  boxes  of  which 
such  brands  as  "Virginia  Cheroots"  and  "Royal 
Bengals"  are  types.  By  the  terms  "little  cigar" 
the  trade  recognizes  all  cigars  under  the  regular 
standard  size  and  which  weigh  less  than  3 
pounds  per  thousand.  In  some  "little  cigar" 
factories  these  little  cigars  are  not  made  from 
inferior  leaf.  They  are  made  usually  from  the 
small  leaves  of  the  tobacco  intended  for  higher 
priced  goods,  but  which  on  account  of  faulty 
size  cannot  be  used.  The  leaf  is,  however,  cured 
and  prepared  in  exactly  the  same  way.  In 
addition  the  "scrap"  or  waste  portions  of  the 
high  priced  leaf  is  used  for  fillers  for  little 
cigars.  The  little  cigars  of  this  type  are  usually 
of  first-rate  quality  and  on  account  of  their 
small  cost  give  excellent  value  to  the  smoker. 

CIGARS.    MISCELLANEOUS 
There  are  a  good  many  terms  used  in  the 
cigar  trade  to  denote  color,  size,  quality,  etc., 
which   smokers   should   know   the   meaning   of. 

107 


Most  of  these  terms  are  Spanish,  because  the 
cigar  trade  was  for  a  long  time  confined  to 
Cuba. 

Terms  used  to  denote  the  quality  of  cigar  leaf 

DESECHO.  The  finest  quality;  the  top  leaves 
of  plant;  best  because  they  have  re- 
ceived most  sunshine  and  dew. 

DESECHITO.  Good  leaves  but  inferior  to 
desecho. 

LIBRA.  Good  leaves  but  small  in  size ;  the  smal- 
ler top  and  bottom  leaves. 

INJURIADO.  Injured  leaves;  root  leaves  soil 
stained  and  injured  by  insects. 

Terms  used  to  denote  color 
Note :  The  color  term  refers  to  the  wrapper 
only.  Many  smokers  judge  the  mildness  or 
strength  of  a  cigar  by  its  outside  color.  This 
is  a  fallacy.  The  wrapper  constitutes  only 
about  2  per  cent  of  the  cigar  weight.  More- 
over color  is  no  criterion  of  strength.  The 
darkest  cigar  may  be  and  usually  is  very  mild. 
The  color  is  due  (1)  to  the  soil,  (2)  to  the  age 
of  the  plant  when  cut,  and  (3)  to  the  length  of 
time  of  curing  and  fermentation.  As  a  general 
rule  the  lighter  the  color  the  more  inferior  and 
immature  is  the  tobacco.  Cigar  smokers  should 
remember  this. 

108 


CLARO   or   CLARA.      Very   light   colored.      The 

lightest  shade  known  in  selected  leaves. 
COLORADO.     Red;  medium  in  color. 
COLORADO  CLARA.     Light  Brown. 
COLORADO  MADURO.     Dark  Brown. 
MADURO.      Ripe;   very  dark,   almost   black   in 

color. 

Terms  used  to  denote  size  and  shape 
CONCHAS.      Shell;  cigars  so  marked  are  4»%" 

long. 

CONCHA  FINA.     A  first  quality  Concha. 
CONCHA  ESPECIAL.     Finely  finished  and  some- 
what larger  than  a  Concha. 
LONDRES.      London.      Specially   made   for   the 

London  market  and  on  account  of  its 

shape  and  length. 
REGALIAS.     A  cigar  of  a  finer  grade  of  tobacco 

than  is  used  in  Londres  or  Conchas. 
DAMAS.  Ladies;  small  cigar  about  3"  long. 
PANATELAS.  A  long  thin  cigar  that  has  been 

heavily  pressed. 
NON    PLUS    ULTRA.      A   large   handsome    cigar 

made  from  the  finest  tobacco. 
ESCEPCIONALES.       Exceptionally     large     sized 

cigar. 
OPERA.     A  small  after-dinner  cigar  about 

long. 

PRINCESSES.    Like  the  Opera,  but  thinner. 
COQUETTAS.     Flirt;  3%"  long. 

109 


BREVAS.     A  short,  thick  cigar. 

NOBLESSE.      The   largest   and   most   expensive 

cigars. 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  is  a  multitude 
of  trade  names,  such  as  Club  House,  Hoffman 
House,  Rothschilds,  Invincibles,  Perfectos,  etc., 
etc.  Some  of  these  terms  merely  denote  par- 
ticular brands  put  out  by  certain  makers  and 
to  distinguish  their  products.  The  Spanish 
terms  refer  to  the  cigar  itself  and  not  to  the 
maker.  They  may  be  used  by  any  maker,  and 
no  longer  refer  to  any  standard  of  excellence. 
(See  references  end  of  Chapter  XV ) 


110 


CHAPTER  XII 

CIGARS  AND  THEIR  QUALITIES 

QUALITIES   OF    CIGARS   AND    CIGAR   LEAF.      IM- 
PORTED CIGARS.     HAVANAS. 
DOMESTIC  CIGARS. 


Ill 


CIGARS  AND  THEIR  QUALITIES 

A  cigar  consists  essentially  of  three  distinct 
parts :  the  body  or  inner  part  called  the  filler; 
the  covering  of  the  filler  which  is  called  the 
binder;  and  the  outside  finishing  cover  which 
is  called  the  wrapper.  Cuban  cigars,  however, 
consist  of  filler  and  wrapper  only. 

Except  in  the  case  of  cigars  made  in  Cuba 
the  wrapper  leaf  is  usually  of  a  different  class 
of  tobacco  from  the  rest  of  the  cigar,  as  the 
qualities  to  be  fulfilled  by  each  part  is  different. 
The  qualities  required  in  a  cigar  must  be  viewed 
both  from  the  smokers'  and  the  manufacturers' 
standpoints  and  the  leaf  must  be  such  as  to 
conform  to  these  qualities.  Thus  the  smoker  is 
concerned  with  the  burning  quality,  the  taste, 
flavor,  aroma,  color,  general  appearance  and 
strength  of  the  cigar.  The  manufacturer  in 
addition  to  seeking  leaf  that  will  answer  the 
smokers'  requirements  also  has  an  eye  to  econ- 
omy and  requires  the  leaf  to  have  qualities  re- 
garding size,  weight,  texture,  etc.  Therefore, 
in  the  best  cigar  leaf  the  following  qualities  are 
more  or  less  essential:  (1)  good  color,  (2)  fair 
body,  (3)  a  continuous  pleasant  aroma,  (4) 
fine  texture  combined  with  a  certain  toughness, 
(5)  small  ribs  and  veins,  (6)  good  combustion 
so  that  it  will  hold  fire  for  4  or  five  minutes. 
113 


The  burning  must  be  free  and  even  with  a  white 
or  whitish-brown  ash  which  remains  intact  until 
cigar  is  three-fourths  smoked,  (7)  good  size  of 
leaf,  (8)  must  be  elastic  and  souple,  must  not  be 
brittle,  (9)  it  must  be  free  from  spots  and  light 
in  weight. 

Some  of  these  qualities  are  essential  in  filler 
leaf;  some  in  wrapper  leaf.  Thus  the  color  of 
filler  leaf  does  not  matter;  neither  does  the 
aroma  of  the  wrapper  the  essential  qualities  of 
which  are  color,  lightness  and  elasticity. 

The  cigars  consumed  in  the  U.  S.  are  either 
(a)  Imported  or  (b)  Home  Manufactured. 

(a)  IMPORTED  CIGARS 

The  most  important  of  the  imported  cigars 
are  those  that  come  from  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and 
the  Philippines. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  cigars  were 
imported  principally  from  Germany  and  Cuba 
and  the  value  was  about  4%  million  dollars 
annually.  High  import  duties  have,  however, 
altered  this  and  the  number  of  imported  cigars 
is  nearly  90  per  cent  less  than  formerly.  The 
value  of  the  import  has  not,  however,  fallen  so 
much,  that  is  to  say  only  the  higher  grades  of 
cigars  are  imported.  The  value  of  cigars  now 
imported  does  not  exceed  3  million  dollars 
annually  and  they  are  principally  Cuban. 


CUBAN,  OR  SO-CALLED  HAVANA,  CIGARS 
As  the  strictest  laws  are  enforced  in  Cuba 
against  the  importation  of  tobacco,  it  follows 
that  all  genuine  so-called  Havana  cigars  are 
made  of  Cuban  tobacco.  The  Havana  Tobacco 
Co.  controls  about  260,000  acres  of  the  best 
Cuban  tobacco  land  and  has  25  factories  in  the 
City  of  Havana.  Here  Havana  cigars  are  made 
in  all  grades  from  those  which  can  be  bought  at 
2  for  25c  to  those  which  cost  $2.00  each.  The 
high  priced  are  very  limited  in  quSfrty,  being 
made  from  tobacco  grown  in  specially  favored 
districts.  The  Province  of  Pinar  del  Rio  pro- 
duces 70  per  cent  of  the  whole  Cuban  crop,  and 
includes  the  celebrated  District  of  Vuelta  Abajo 
in  which  the  finest  cigar  tobacco  in  the  world  is 
grown;  the  Provinces  of  Havana  and  Santa 
Clara  each  produces  about  13  per  cent  of  the 
Cuban  crop.  Havana  Partidio  leaf  is  of  very 
fine  quality  and  is  used  principally  as  wrappers 
of  clear  Havanas.  Havana  Remedios  leaf  comes 
from  Santa  Clara,  has  a  high  flavor,  rather 
heavy  body  and  is  used  mostly  for  fillers. 

The  very  finest  Havana  cigars  never  leave 
Cuba,  for  the  merchant  keeps  them  for  his  own 
use.  He  is  a  smoker  before  a  trader.  The  crop 
of  the  very  best  Vuelta  Abajo  tobacco  is  so 
small  that  not  more  than  about  30,000  cigars 
can  be  made  from  it.  These  are  kept  for  pri- 

115 


vate  purchasers  and  none  go  on  the  market. 
The  finest  Havanas  are  of  an  even  tint  of  rich 
dark  brown,  free  from  all  stains  and  spots, 
burning  freely  to  a  white  or  whitish-brown  ash, 
and  holding  fire  for  4  or  5  minutes.  Altogether 
the  District  of  Vuelta  Abajo  produces  about 
one-quarter  million  bales  of  leaf  annually  and 
about  one-tenth  of  this  is  high  class  and  pro- 
duces up  to  20  dollars  per  Ib.  on  the  spot. 

As  stated  previously,  Cuban  cigars  have  no 
binder.  They  consist  of  filled  and  wrapper  only 
and  are  all  hand-made.  The  unique  position 
which  these  cigars  have  held  for  so  long  is  due 
not  only  to  perfect  curing  and  blending  of  the 
leaf,  but  also  to  the  superior  skill  of  the  Cuban 
workmen  who  are  the  most  expert  cigarmakers 
and  blenders  in  the  world,  and  who  in  the  best 
factories  are  allowed  to  take  all  the  time  they 
need  in  making  the  cigar.  Some  of  these 
"Tabacqueros"  have  been  making  the  same 
brand  of  cigar  for  20  years  or  longer. 

Of  the  total  annual  output  of  Cuban  made 
cigars,  England  takes  about  40  per  cent,  the 
U.  S.  about  25  per  cent  and  Germany  13  per 
cent.  In  1913,  the  U.  S.  imported  659,358  Ibs. 
of  cigars  and  cheroots  from  Cuba  valued  for 
$3,999,410. 


116 


PORTO  Rico  CIGARS 

From  Porto  Rico  the  U.  S.  ships  about  125 
million  cigars  annually. 

PHILIPPINE  CIGARS 

The  laws  in  force  between  the  U.  S.  and  the 
Philippine  Islands,  governing  the  tariff,  provide 
for  the  importation  annually  from  the  Philip- 
pines to  the  U.  S.  free  of  import  duties,  of  cigar 
wrapper  leaf  and  filler  leaf  mixed  or  packed 
with  more  than  15  per  cent  of  wrapper  leaf, 
not  in  excess  of  300,000  Ibs. ;  of  filler  leaf  alone 
not  in  excess  of  1,000,000  Ibs.;  and  manufac- 
tured cigars  in  number  not  exceeding  150,000,- 
000.  The  shipping  must  be  direct. 

As  the  Philippine  leaf  is  excellent  and  labor 
there  is  cheap,  the  U.  S.  smoker  is  thus  enabled 
to  get  a  very  good  smoke  at  a  small  cost.  The 
full  number  of  cigars  allowed  at  least  is  im- 
ported. In  1913  the  importation  of  Philippine 
cigars  and  cheroots  to  the  U.  S.  was  1,641,832 
Ibs.  valued  at  $2,296,823. 

HOME  MANUFACTURED  CIGARS 
For  the  home  manufactured  cigar  trade  the 
leaf  used  is  either  imported  or  home  grown. 

Imported  cigar  leaf  comes  principally  from 
Cuba,  Dutch  East  Indies  (Sumatra,  Java,  etc.), 
Porto  Rico,  Mexico,  Brazil,  and  the  Philippines. 

117 


Imported  Cuban  leaf  is  used  both  as  fillers 
and  wrappers.  The  U.  S.  as  already  stated 
imports  about  26  million  Ibs.  annually.  The 
leaf  varies  in  length  from  8"  to  18";  is  a  rich 
brown  color,  and  its  principal  characteristic  is 
its  fine  flavor  and  aroma,  which  is  unequalled 
by  any  other  tobacco  in  the  world. 

The  Sumatran  leaf  is  perhaps  more  import- 
ant in  the  U.  S.  cigar  trade  than  the  Cuban 
leaf.  It  is  used  exclusively  as  wrappers,  on 
account  of  its  fine  light  brown  color,  its  elastic 
texture  and  light  weight.  The  genuine  imported 
leaf  is  much  less  in  weight  than  that  grown  from 
Sumatran  seed  in  Florida.  About  2  Ibs.  of 
imported  Sumatran  leaf  will  wrap  1,000  cigars. 
Its  length  is  usually  from  14  to  20  inches  and 
the  U.  S.  imports  annually  about  7  million  Ibs., 
valued  at  about  5  million  dollars.  The  use  of 
Sumatran  leaf  as  a  wrapper  for  home-made 
cigars  has  increased  remarkably  in  the  last 
quarter  century.  In  the  quinquennium  ending 
1885  the  number  of  such  cigars  was  34  millions. 
In  the  last  quinquennium  the  number  exceeded 
2,000  millions. 

The  Sumatran  leaf  has  little  aroma  or  flavor 
and  its  value  is  for  appearance  only.  The 
average  prices  paid  by  the  United  States  for 
imported  cigar  leaf  in  1914  was:  for  leaf  suit- 

118 


able  for  cigar  making,  127c  per  Ib. ;  for  "other 
leaf,"  50.44c  per  Ib. 

OTHER  IMPORTED  CIGAR  LEAF 
Since  the  introduction  of  tax-free  manufac- 
tured cigars  from  the  Philippines  the  importa- 
tion of  leaf  has  declined. 

Mexican  leaf  is  used  as  a  substitute  for 
Cuban,  to  which  it  is  inferior. 

The  imports  of  cigar  leaf  tobacco  from  Porto 
Rico  and  Brazil  are  relatively  unimportant. 

CIGAR  LEAF  TOBACCO  GROWN  IN  THE  U.  S. 

The  home  grown  tobacco  leaf  used  in  the 
cigar  manufacturing  trade  of  the  U.  S.  is  grown 
principally  in  the  states  of  Connecticut,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Wisconsin,  Florida, 
Georgia,  and  Texas.  The  Connecticut  leaf  is 
used  for  wrappers  and  binders.  The  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania  leaf  almost  exclusively  for  fillers. 
Wisconsin  produces  binder  leaf  particularly. 
The  leaf  grown  elsewhere  is  used  mostly  as 
wrappers.  It  is  usual,  however,  to  use  the  im- 
ported and  Sumatran  leaf  as  wrappers  for  all 
high  class  home-made  cigars. 

The  finest  American  grown  wrapper  leaf  is 
raised  in  Connecticut.  The  best  known  brands 
are  known  as  Connecticut  Seedleaf  and  Connec- 
ticut Broadleaf,  both  varieties  raised  orginally 

119 


from  imported  Havana  seed.  The  leaf  is  desti- 
tute of  thick  fibers  and  has  a  fine  texture.  They 
run  from  14"  to  26"  in  length,  giving  good 
wrapping  capacity. 

The  Pennsylvania  leaf  is  also  classed  as  Seed 
and  Broadleaf.  It  is  about  the  same  size  as  the 
Connecticut,  but  does  not  equal  it  in  quality. 
The  principal  varieties  in  Ohio  are  the  Geb- 
hardt,  Zimmer,  Spanish,  and  Little  Dutch. 
These  do  not  usually  exceed  20"  in  length. 
Florida  cigar  leaf  is  usually  small,  running 
from  10"  to  14"  in  length. 

(For  references  see  Chapter  XV ) 


120 


CHAPTER  XIII 

PIPE    SMOKING   AND   CHEWING 
TOBACCOS 

QUALITIES  REQUIRED.     DESCRIPTION  OF  KINDS. 
PERIQUE   TOBACCO.      STATISTICS. 


121 


PIPE   SMOKING  AND   CHEWING 
TOBACCOS 

For  pipe  smoking  mixtures  the  tobacco  loaf 
used  is  of  various  kinds.  Preferred  strains  of 
leaf  from  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina, 
Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Maryland,  and  East 
Ohio,  to  which  is  added  sometimes  Turkish, 
Latakia,  Perique,  and  a  little  Havana.  The 
blend  is  made  while  the  tobacco  is  in  leaf  form, 
portions  of  the  desired  kinds  being  assembled 
in  accordance  with  a  formula  followed  by  the 
manufacturer.  The  leaf  is  then  put  through 
the  required  mechanical  processes. 

The  qualities  necessary  in  pipe  smoking  to- 
baccos are  that  it  must  burn  evenly,  slowly, 
smoothly  and  thoroughly;  it  must  have  an 
agreeable  aroma;  it  must  not  cause  a  burning 
or  acrid  sensation  in  the  mouth  when  smoked; 
it  is  desirable  that  its  nicotine  contents  should 
be  low.  Appearance  is  not  of  any  consequence, 
but  the  manufacturer  looks  for  leaf  that,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  above  qualities,  is  free  from  gum- 
miness  as  this  interferes  with  granulation  and 
cutting;  also  that  the  leaf  may  be  a  good 
absorbing  kind  in  order  that  it  may  imbibe  the 
juices  with  which  this  class  of  manufactured 
tobacco  is  treated  both  for  chewing  and  pipe 
smoking. 

123 


As  the  taste  of  smokers  with  regard  to  the 
flavor  and  aroma  of  pipe  tobacco  varies  con- 
siderably, some  desiring  a  strong,  others  a  mild 
or  light  tobacco,  this  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count by  the  manufacturer  and  the  blends 
graded  accordingly. 

Pipe  smoking  tobaccos  are  distinguished  ac- 
cording to  the  different  mechanical  processes 
used  in  their  production.  Thus  there  are  (1) 
Granulated,  (2)  Plug-cut,  (3)  Long-cut,  Fine- 
cut,  etc.  In  former  days  it  was  customary  for 
smokers  to  buy  their  tobacco  in  the  roll  or 
twist  and  cut  and  manipulate  it  themselves. 
This  custom  has,  however,  passed  away  almost 
entirely  in  the  U.  S.  It  still  survives  to  a  large 
extent  in  Europe  where  smokers  prefer  their 
tobacco  moist.  In  the  U.  S.  pipe  smoking 
tobacco  is  usually  cut  and  ready  for  the  pipe 
and  sold  in  packages  or  cans. 

GRANULATED  is  tobacco  that  has  been  flaked 
by  breaking  or  cutting  machines  with  blunt 
teeth  or  saws  and  then  passed  over  a  series  of 
oscillating  sieves  of  graded  mesh. 

PLUG-CUT  or  CUT-PLUG  is  first  made  into 
plugs  by  pressure.  These  plugs  are  then  cut 
into  thin  slices  convenient  for  crumbling.  The 
slices  are  put  up  in  packages  in  which  form  the 
smoker  uses  it.  Special  forms  of  cut-plug  are, 
bird's-eye,  short-cut,  cube-cut,  straight-cut, 

124 


curly-cut,  wavy-cut  and  cavendish-cut;  the 
name  being  determined  by  the  shape  of  the  cut 
slices.  "Navy-cut"  is  a  particular  kind  of 
plug  which  was  originally  prepared  directly 
by  shipmen. 

LONG-CUT  tobacco  is  leaf  cut  into  long 
shreds.  It  differs  from  plug-cut  in  not  having 
been  pressed  into  solid  plugs  before  cutting. 

FINE-CUT  is  finer  and  shorter  shreds  than  the 
long-cut,  and  the  tobacco  used  is  usually  of  a 
less  gummy  kind. 

Other  varieties  known  in  the  trade  are: 

GERMAN  SMOKING.  A  coarse-grained,  heavy 
tobacco  with  strong  flavor.  It  is  a  coarse 
granulated  tobacco. 

STRIPS.  A  fine  shredded  or  powdered  tobacco 
used  principally  in  the  mining  camps  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

SCRAP.  Smoking  tobacco  made  up  from 
cigar  clippings  and  cheap  cigar  leaf  of  the 
filler  and  binder  type. 

PERIQUE  TOBACCO 

Perique  tobacco  is  a  specially  dark,  rich 
variety  having  special  qualities  which  ren- 
der it  desirable  as  a  component  in  pipe  smoking 
mixtures,  or  for  straight  smoking.  Genuine 
Perique  is  grown  and  prepared  only  in  the 
Parish  of  St.  James  in  the  State  of  Louisiana 

125 


by  the  descendants  of  the  old  French  Colonists. 
The  properties  which  it  possesses  are  essential- 
ly due  to  the  peculiar  method  of  curing  and 
fermentation  and  not  to  any  peculiarity  in  the 
leaf  itself.  It  is  the  only  tobacco  in  the  United 
States  that  is  grown  and  put  in  its  final  condi- 
tion for  the  consumer  by  the  farmer.  It  is 
said  that  the  output  of  genuine  Perique  is  small, 
being  well  under  50,000  Ibs.  annually.  But 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  substitute  Perique  sold 
in  lieu  of  the  genuine  kind. 

The  tobacco  is  raised  on  a  black,  deep,  ex- 
ceedingly rich  soil.  The  leaf  is  medium  in  size, 
about  18"  long,  and  a  rapid  grower.  The  stein 
is  small,  the  fiber  tough  and  gummy. 

In  curing  no  artificial  heat  is  used.  The 
leaf  is  hung  in  sheds  for  about  10  days.  It  is 
then  stripped  into  half  leaves.  These  are  taken 
in  bundles  of  about  20  each  and  converted  into 
rough  "twists."  A  dozen  or  so  "twists"  are 
packed  in  a  box  II"  square  the  weight  being 
about  50  Ibs.  The  contents  of  the  box  are  then 
submitted  to  a  pressure  of  about  7000  Ibs.  for 
at  least  24  hours.  The  tobacco  is  then  taken 
out  and  the  twists  again  opened  up.  The  leaves 
are  exposed  to  the  air  and  sunlight  until  an 
exudate  appears  on  them  and  is  reabsorbed. 
This  is  done  over  and  over  again  for  at  least 
10  days  or  until  in  appearance  the  tobacco 

126 


is  quite  black.  That  is  to  say  the  curing  of 
Perique  is  accomplished  by  allowing  it  to  soak 
its  own  juice  and  then  submitting  to  heavy 
pressure  and  repeating  this  process  several 
times.  When  the  leaf  is  cured  it  is  made  into 
rolls  or  "carottes."  A  cotton  cloth  24"  x  18" 
is  taken  and  covered  with  leaves.  Others  are 
spread  crosswise  over  these.  Then  rolled  and 
a  thin  rope  is  wound  very  tightly  about  each 
bundle  on  "carotte."  This  process  like  the  cur- 
ing is  repeated  over  and  over  again.  One  man 
can  handle  about  10  carottes  in  a  day,  the 
weight  being  about  4  Ibs.  each. 

Perique  is  considered  to  have  a  finer  aroma 
than  any  other  pipe  smoking  tobacco  and  its 
presence  in  a  mixture  is  at  once  detected  by 
the  experienced  smoker.  It  is  said  to  contain 
only  14  of  the  citric  acid,  %  of  the  nitric  acid 
and  6  times  as  much  acetic  acid  as  tobacco 
cured  in  air.  The  resultant  aroma  is  rich  and 
fragrant,  and  the  taste  is  smooth,  delicate  and 
agreeable.  It  is  also  claimed  that  it  stimulates 
the  brain  without  in  any  way  being  hurtful  to 
the  digestive  or  nervous  systems. 

When  the  carottes  are  finally  made  it  is  usual 
to  leave  them  under  pressure  for  at  least  12 
months.  The  aroma  is  said  to  improve  as  the 
tobacco  grows  older. 

127 


It  has  been  stated  above  that  much  of  the 
Perique  tobacco  is  a  substitute  for  the  genuine. 
This  substitute  is  made  by  taking  inferior  leaf 
and  submitting  it  to  a  similar  process,  i.  e., 
pressure  and  oxidation  repeatedly.  The  pro- 
cess is  abridged  but  a  black  tobacco  results 
particularly  when  certain  darkening  ingredi- 
ants  are  added.  The  moral  is  if  you  want 
genuine  Perique  be  sure  where  you  get  it,  and 
don't  grudge  the  price. 

CHEWING  TOBACCO 

The  particular  qualities  required  in  leaf  for 
this  purpose  are  toughness,  sweetness  of  taste, 
and  a  richness  in  oils  and  gums.  Suitable  leaf 
having  been  selected  the  leaf  is  cut  and  moulded 
into  small  plugs  or  "chews"  which  are  put  up 
in  boxes  for  the  market.  Flavoring  essences  are 
of  course  plentifully  used. 

As  well  as  plug,  chewing  tobacco  may  be  of 
the  variety  known  as  twist,  the  leaves  being  spun 
and  twisted  in  a  continuous  roll. 

The  plug  consists  of  a  wrapper  and  filler  like 
the  cigar  the  brighter  and  better  grades  of  leaf 
being  used  as  wrappers.  Burley  leaf  and  the 
yellow  leaf  tobacco  of  Virginia,  Kentucky  and 
the  Carolinas  are  principally  used.  The  sub- 
stances used  for  flavoring  are  liquorice,  cane 
sugar,  maple  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum,  prin- 

128 


cipally.  The  plugs  are  packed  in  boxes  of  72 
Ibs.  each,  and  also  smaller  boxes  of  10  and  12 
Ibs.  each. 

The  principal  centers  of  the  manufacture  of 
pipe  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco  are  Missouri 
(St.  Louis)  ;  North  Carolina  (Durham  and 
Winston)  ;  Kentucky  (Louisville)  ;  New  Jer- 
sey (Jersey  City)  ;  Virginia  (Richmond)  and 
Ohio  (Cincinnati). 

There  are  altogether  about  400  establish- 
ments employing  about  20,000  persons,  and 
the  value  of  the  product  is  over  100  million 
dollars  annually. 

This  class  of  products  is  by  its  nature  more 
suitable  for  concentration  of  manufacture  than 
either  cigars  or  cigarettes.  Hence  the  small 
number  of  establishments. 

Only  about  10  million  Ibs.  of  manufactured 
tobacco  is  exported. 

(See  references  end  of  Chapter  XV) 


129 


CHAPTER  XIV 

CIGARETTES 

STATISTICS.      KINDS   AND    WHERE    MADE.      IM- 
PORTED CIGARETTES.     DOMESTIC  CIGAR- 
ETTES.    CIGARETTE  PAPERS. 


181 


CIGARETTES 

A  cigarette  according  to  the  meaning  of  the 
word  is  a  small  cigar.  It  consists  of  a  roll  of 
loose  tobacco  wrapped  in  a  case  of  either  paper 
or  tobacco-leaf.  In  the  latter  case  it  is  known 
as  an  all-tobacco  cigarette. 

Since  the  introduction  of  cigarette  making 
machinery  the  output  of  cigarettes  in  the 
United  States  has  grown  enormously.  This 
will  be  seen  from  the  following  figures  which 
represent  the  output  of  cigarettes  for  the  past 
25  years: 

Number  of  cigarettes 
Year  manufactured  in  the  United  States. 

1890 2,000,000,000 

1895 3,500,000,000 

1900 4,000,000,000 

1905 6,500,000,000 

1910 7,000,000,000 

These  figures  taken  from  Government  Re- 
ports are  given  in  round  numbers.  They  in- 
clude "little  cigars"  which  form  about  15% 
of  the  totals.  About  one-third  is  at  present 
exported.  In  addition  to  the  manufactured 
cigarettes  there  is,  of  course,  the  large  amount 
of  cigarettes  made  directly  by  the  smoker  him- 
self. 

133 


There  are  only  about  500  establishments  in 
the  whole  U.  S.  engaged  in  cigarette  manu- 
facture and  about  ten  of  these  manufacture 
four  times  as  many  as  all  the  rest  together. 
There  would  in  fact  be  fewer  factories  except 
for  the  popularity  of  certain  brands  of  hand 
made  cigarettes.  95%  of  the  total  output  is 
made  in  4  cities,  i.  e.,  New  York,  Dunham,  N. 
C. ;  Richmond,  Va. ;  and  New  Orleans.  New 
York  City  alone  manufactures  about  60%  of 
the  whole;  Richmond  about  16% ;  New  Orleans 
about  10%  and  Durham  the  balance. 

Every  country  manufactures  its  own  peculiar 
brand  of  cigarettes.  The  best  known  and  most 
popular  kinds  of  cigarettes  are  those  known 
as  Virginian,  Turkish,  Havana,  Porto  Rican, 
Mexican,  Russian  and  Philippine. 

The  Havana,  Porto  Rican,  Mexican  and 
Philippine  cigarettes  are  usually  of  the  all-to- 
bacco kind — the  others  being  paper  wrapped. 
They  are  generally  made  from  the  cuttings  and 
smaller  leaves  of  cigar  leaf  tobacco. 

Turkish  cigarettes  are  celebrated  all  the 
world  over.  The  name  is  however  mostly  a 
misnomer,  for  nearly  all  the  so-called  Turkish 
cigarettes  proper  are  made  in  Egypt,  Greece, 
etc.,  and  not  in  Turkey.  In  Egypt,  however, 
the  best  Turkish  cigarettes  are  made  from 
tobacco  grown  in  Turkey  (in  Europe)  which 

134, 


is  imported,  as  no  tobacco  is  grown  in  Egypt. 
The  peculiar  flavor  of  Egyptian  Turkish  cigar- 
ettes is  due  to  special  methods  known  only  to 
the  makers  there. 

The  crop  of  Turkish  tobacco,  particularly 
of  the  better  kinds  suitable  for  cigarettes,  is 
small  and  less  than  half  of  it  is  exported.  The 
supply  of  genuine  Turkish  cigarette  tobacco 
is,  therefore,  strictly  limited  and  does  not  find 
its  way  into  ordinary  channels.  Much  of  so- 
called  "Turkish"  tobacco  comes  from  China, 
and  other  parts  of  Asia.  From  Turkey,  in 
Europe,  the  United  States  annually  imports  at 
present  about  ten  million  Ibs.,  the  actual 
government  figures  for  1913  being  10,816,048 
Ibs.  valued  at  about  5%  million  dollars. 

From  Turkey  in  Asia  the  imports  in  1912 
were  11,233,546  Ibs.,  and  in  1913,  18,955,295, 
this  latter  being  valued  at  nearly  5  million  dol- 
lars. It  does  not  follow  that  all  this  latter  is 
Turkish.  It  was  probably  in  large  part  col- 
lected from  distant  points  and  shipped  from 
ports  in  Asia  Minor.  The  imports  of  Turkish 
tobacco  during  1914  are  considerably  reduced 
on  account  of  the  war. 

One  American  company  which  does  an 
immense  business  in  the  cigarette  line  main- 
tains at  Cavallo  a  large  establishment  for  the 
direct  purchase  and  treatment  of  its  "own 

135 


Turkish  leaf.  This  plant  handles  about  6  mil- 
lion Ibs.  of  leaf  annually.  The  American  smoker 
of  home-made  Turkish  cigarettes  has  the  ad- 
vantage of  knowing  that  his  leaf  is  genuine  and 
bought  economically. 

The  most  valued  kind  of  Turkish  tobacco 
is  that  grown  in  the  Caza  of  Yenidji  on  the 
Vardar  River  region  in  Roumelia. 

The  Latakia  tobacco  grown  in  the  hilly  part 
of  Northern  Syria  is  also  celebrated  as  a  cigar- 
ette tobacco.  This  tobacco  has  a  low  nicotine 
percentage  (less  than  one  per  cent)  and  its 
peculiar  aroma  is  due  to  its  exposure  for  nearly 
6  months  to  the  smoke  of  the  tree  known  as 
Quercus  Ilex.  Very  choice  parcels  of  these 
tobaccos  fetch  in  the  open  market  from  $3  to 
$5  per  Ib. ;  lower  grades  are  bought  from  25c 
per  Ib.  and  up. 

The  best  known  grades  of  cigarettes  made 
from  genuine  Turkish  leaf  are  the  La  Ferme  of 
Leipzig  and  St.  Petersburg;  the  Nestor  and 
Melachrino  of  Egypt;  the  Monopol  of  New 
York;  and  the  Dubec  of  Richmond.  In  the 
Turkish  hand-made  cigarette  there  is  no  flavor- 
ing of  any  kind.  In  Europe  the  Turkish  cigar- 
ettes are  usually  made  by  Greeks  who  are 
special  adepts  at  this  work. 

The  paper  wrappers  are  imported  from 
France  or  Austria.  The  native  cigarette 

136 


makers  as  a  rule  blend  their  own  leaf  and  cut 
or  shred  it  by  hand.  An  expert  workman  can 
make  about  3,000  cigarettes  per  day. 

In  the  United  States,  Turkish  cigarettes  are 
of  two  kinds,  imported  and  domestic.  The  im- 
ported include  those  purchased  already  made 
from  Egypt,  England,  France,  etc.  In  1913 
the  value  of  cigarettes  purchased  directly  by 
the  U.  S.  from  Egypt  was  about  $25,000  and 
from  England  $22,000,  other  countries  less.  In 
1914  the  total  cost  of  imported  cigarettes  (not 
including  those  from  Philippine  Islands)  was 
$79,554.  The  value  of  such  trade  is,  therefore, 
not  large.  The  Turkish  cigarettes  made  in  the 
States  are  termed  Domestic  Turkish,  and  are 
usually  hand-made,  though  not  by  any  means 
exclusively  so.  It  appears  to  be  nothing  more 
than  an  idiosyncrasy  to  consider  that  a  hand- 
made cigarette  is  better  than  a  machine-made 
one.  As  in  the  case  of  cigars,  other  things 
being  equal  it  would  appear  that  on  many  con- 
siderations, hygienic  as  well  as  mechanical,  the 
balance  is  in  favor  of  the  machine.  However, 
many  still  think  there  is  some  peculiar  talis- 
manic  virtue  in  a  hand-made  cigarette  and  are 
willing  to  pay  a  higher  price.  There  is,  of 
course,  a  pleasure  in  making  one's  own  cigar- 
ettes, but  when  they  are  bought  made  the  ad- 
vantage of  hand-making  is  not  very  apparent. 

137 


There  are  many  variants  of  the  Turkish 
cigarette.  Besides  the  common  paper  wrapped 
variety  some  have  fillers  of  Turkish  tobacco 
with  Havana  or  Virginia  leaf  wrapper;  others 
have  mixed  fillers  of  Turkish,  Virginia,  Havana 
or  Perique,  two  or  more  or  all  kinds  being 
mixed.  Each  type  of  cigarette  has  its  own 
special  votaries.  Cigarettes  of  this  variety  are 
not,  however,  so  popular  in  the  United  States 
as  in  other  countries  where  the  cigarette  is  the 
most  pronounced  type  smoked. 

The  American  cigarette  is  generally  made  of 
Yellow  Virginian  tobacco  and  is  popular  all 
the  world  over.  The  secret  of  success  in  good 
cigarette  making  lies  in  the  selection  and  blend- 
ing of  the  leaf  so  that  the  proper  strength  and 
characteristics  may  be  secured.  As  a  general 
rule  no  adulterants  of  any  kind  are  added  to 
the  tobacco  except  in  some  of  the  very  cheap 
kinds  in  which  the  leaf  is  sometimes  treated  with 
a  glycerine  solution  in  order  to  give  it  a  sweetish 
taste.  The  solution  is  quite  harmless. 

The  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  cigar- 
ettes has  been  brought  to  such  perfection  that 
it  is  quite  automatic.  The  only  hand  work  re- 
quired is  the  feeding  of  the  tobacco  into  the 
hoppers.  The  cutting,  rolling,  wrapping,  tip- 
ping and  packing  are  all  done  quite  mechanical- 
ly, the  cigarettes  being  turned  out  all  ready 

138 


for  the  smoker.  In  the  large  factories  the  pro- 
cesses are  under  strict  hygienic  conditions, 
which  is  not  usually  the  case  in  the  small  work- 
shops where  the  hand-made  goods  are  prepared. 
The  various  machines  used  in  the  manufactur- 
ing processes  are  highly  complicated  and  a 
detailed  description  of  them  would  be  too  tech- 
nical for  these  pages. 

The  paper  used  for  wrapping  cigarettes  has 
frequently  been  the  subject  of  most  unwar- 
ranted attacks  and  the  most  absurd  statements 
have  been  made  regarding  it.  Investigation  and 
analysis  of  the  paper  used  in  the  very  cheapest 
grades  of  cigarettes  by  competent  authorities 
have  failed  to  find  anything  deleterious  to 
health.  The  paper  used  for  this  purpose  is 
made  principally  in  France.  It  is  of  the  kind 
known  as  rice  paper  although  it  has  no  connec- 
tion whatever  with  rice.  It  is  a  vegetable  sub- 
stance being  made  usually  from  the  membranes 
of  the  bread  fruit  tree  or  else  from  fine  trim- 
mings of  flax  and  hemp.  The  materials  are 
thoroughly  washed  and  treated  with  lime  and 
soda  before  and  after  pulping.  Careful  analysis 
are  made  to  see  that  nothing  is  left  that  might 
be  harmful  and  the  manufacturers  use  the  great- 
est care  and  judgment  to  see  that  their  product 
is  as  pure  and  perfect  as  possible  as  it  is  their 
interest  that  it  should  be  so.  The  paper  is  ex- 

189 


tremely  thin  and  light,  very  combustible,  and 
gives  off  very  little  smoke.  These  are  the  only 
qualities  necessary  and  there  is  not  the  least 
reason  to  use  any  harmful  ingredients,  as  the  re- 
quired qualities  can  be  obtained  by  the  ordinary 
manufacturing  processes.  Moreover,  the  best 
paper  can  be  manufactured  and  supplied  at  a 
very  low  cost.  From  France  the  United  States 
annually  imports  about  $500,000  worth  of 
cigarette  paper  and  from  Austria  about 
$120,000  worth. 

Most  manufactured  cigarettes  have  a  protec- 
tive tip  at  the  mouth  end.  This  not  only  keeps 
the  cigarette  intact  but  prevents  the  tobacco 
from  being  wetted  by  the  saliva.  As  already 
stated,  nicotine  is  soluble  in  water,  and  its  en- 
trance to  the  mouth  in  this  form  is  thus 
obviated.  The  tips  are  made  of  various  sub- 
stances, cork,  straw,  goldleaf,  cherry  wood, 
etc.,  in  fact  any  water-proof  substance  that  is 
harmless,  nonadherent  and  smooth  can  be  used. 

Cigarettes  must  according  to  the  law  of  the 
U.  S.  be  put  up  in  packages  of  5,  8,  10,  15,  20, 
50  or  100,  and  the  packages  must  not  contain 
any  lottery  or  chance  ticket  nor  any  indecent 
picture. 

Much  criticism,  that  is  to  a  large  extent 
groundless,  has  been  directed  against  the  habit 
of  cigarette  smoking.  It  has  been  shown  by 

140 


many  investigators  that  when  not  carried  to 
excess  the  cigarette  is  the  safest  method  of 
using  tobacco.  The  reader  is  referred  to  the 
remarks  regarding  cigarettes  in  the  chapter 
respecting  the  effect  of  tobacco  on  the  human 
system;  but  it  may  be  as  well  here  to  quote  a 
recent  editorial  from  one  of  the  leading  repre- 
sentative medical  journals  of  the  United  States, 
the  opinion  stated  in  which  should  go  far  to- 
wards removing  the  absurd  prejudice  against 
the  cigarette. 

From  the  New  York  Medical  Journal  of 
July  25,  1914  (Editorial)  : 

"Particularly  do  the  uninformed  enjoy  an 
attack  on  the  cigarette ;  it  is  cheap ;  it  is  small ; 
and  its  patrons,  numerous  as  they  are,  yet  form 
an  insignificant  minority  in  our  immense  popu- 
lation. Therefore,  the  cigarette  and  its  users 
are  fair  game  for  cheap  and  silly  sneers ;  sneers 
which  are  capable,  however,  of  cowing  an  entire 
legislature,  as  in  Georgia  at  this  moment.  Yet, 
beyond  cavil,  it  has  been  proved  scientifically 
that  of  all  methods  of  using  tobacco,  cigarette 
smoking  is  the  least  harmful.  Some  months  ago 
the  Lancet  undertook  a  careful  laboratory 
study  of  the  various  ways  of  consuming  tobacco, 
with  the  result  that  it  was  found  that  the  cigar- 
ettes, Egyptian,  Turkish  and  American,  yielded 
the  least  amount  of  nicotine  to  the  smoke 

141 


formed;  the  cigar  came  next  in  point  of  harm- 
lessness,  while  the  pipe  overshadowed  the  cigar 
to  the  extent  that  from  70  to  90%  of  nicotine 
was  said  to  exist  in  its  smoke. 

"As  to  the  paper  of  cigarettes  the  attacks 

are  simply  preposterous. 

#*#*### 

"Men  are  well  within  their  rights  in  forbid- 
ding cigarette  smoking  and  other  pleasures  and 
distractions  to  their  employes;  it  is  another 
matter  when  they  seize  an  opportunity  to  com- 
pound with  vices  they  have  a  mind  to,  by  damn- 
ing one  they're  not  inclined  to,  especially  when 
the  latter  affords  solace  and  recreation  to  mil- 
lions perfectly  capable  of  judging  what  is  and 
what  is  not  good  for  them.  In  Europe  where 
a  good  deal  of  logical  thinking  still  prevails, 
there  is  probably  not  one  smoker  of  distinction 
in  any  walk  of  life  who  does  not  include  the 
cigarette  in  his  nicotian  armamentarium." 
(See  references  end  of  Chapter  XV) 


142 


CHAPTER  XV 

SNUFF 

How  MADE.     QUALITIES.     DESCRIPTION  OF 
KINDS. 


SNUFF 

A  century  ago  snuff  taking  was  the  principal 
form  in  which  tobacco  was  used.  The  custom 
pervaded  all  classes  of  society  and  it  was  used 
by  both  sexes.  The  habit  has  to  a  very  large 
extent  died  out;  and  it  is  rarely  now  that 
one  sees  a  snuff  box  in  use.  Nevertheless  there 
is  still  a  very  large  trade  in  snuff  manufacture, 
and  it  is  used  very  extensively  in  many  coun- 
tries. It  will  surprise  many  to  know  that  about 
24  million  Ibs.  of  snuff  are  manufactured  and 
used  annually  in  the  U.  S.  and  that  within  re- 
cent years  the  percentage  of  increase  in  the  use 
of  this  form  of  tobacco  has  been  higher  than  in 
the  case  of  cigar,  cigarette  or  pipe  smoking 
kinds.  The  value  of  the  snuff  manufactured  an- 
nually is  appraised  for  revenue  purposes  at 
about  6  million  dollars. 

The  process  of  the  manufacture  of  snuff  or 
tobacco  powder,  is  essentially  based  on  long  and 
thorough  fermentation  as  all  bitter  substances, 
acid  and  essential  oils,  as  well  as  a  large  part  of 
the  nicotine,  must  be  removed. 

Strong,  coarse  tobacco  is  suitable  for  the 
purpose,  the  darker  types  of  Virginian  and 
Tennessee  tobaccos  being  used.  Strong  tobacco 
does  not  necessarily  contain  a  high  percentage 
of  nicotine  as  is  usually  supposed.  Strength 

145 


has  nothing  to  do  with  nicotine  content;  but 
whatever  amount  of  nicotine  the  tobacco  pos- 
sesses, at  least  one-half  must  be  removed  by  fer- 
mentation. As  a  general  rule  tobacco  leaf 
which  is  at  least  2  years  old  is  used  and  this  is 
submitted  to  a  further  fermentation  process  of 
a  special  kind  for  a  period  varying  from  2  to  6 
months.  When  the  fermentation  process  is  com- 
plete, the  tobacco,  while  still  in  leaf  and  un- 
powdered,  is  technically  known  as  snuff.  There 
are  two  principal  kinds  of  snuff  and  there  are 
many  varieties  of  each  kind  principally  differ- 
ing in  flavor  and  minor  qualities. 

The  two  kinds  of  snuff  are  known  as  Wet  and 
Dry.  These  terms  are  due  to  the  difference  in 
the  mode  of  manufacture. 

In  making  wet  snuff,  the  tobacco  leaves  are 
ground  up  into  grain  form  before  the  fermenta- 
tion takes  place.  It  only  becomes  snuff  when 
the  fermentation  is  completed. 

In  the  dry  kind  the  grinding  does  not  take 
place  until  after  the  fermentation  is  completed, 
when  the  fermented  leaves  are  thoroughly  dried. 

The  grinding  is  then  done  in  a  muller  similar 
to  a  mortar  and  pestle — this  operation  being 
conducted  by  machinery  on  a  large  scale.  After 
grinding  the  snuff  is  put  through  a  sieving  pro- 
cess and  is  then  sent  to  the  seasoning  depart- 

146 


ment,  thus  occupying  from  2  to  6  months  or 

even  longer. 

Various    flavors — attar    of    roses    and    such 

like — are  added  to  give  the  snuff  different  scents 

and  flavors. 

The  various  names  under  which  brands   of 

snuff  are  put  up  are  survivals  of  names  applied 

to  snuff  made  by  methods  no  longer  in  vogue : 

SCOTCH  SNUFFS  are  all  dry.  There  are  various 
kinds — strong,  plain,  sweet,  salt,  high- 
toast,  etc. 

MACCABOY  is  a  semi- wet  snuff. 

SWEDISH  SNUFFS  usually  contain  a  large  per- 
centage of  moisture.  The  grains  are 
coarse  and  usually  highly  flavored. 
Snuff  taking  is  still  extensive  among 
the  Swedish  people. 

RAPPEE  is  a  snuff  made  after  the  French 
fashion. 

REFERENCES   (Chapters  IX  to  XV) 
U.    S.    DEPT.    OF    COMMERCE.      BUREAU    OF    THE 

CENSUS.     Report  of  13th  Census,  1910.      (Vol. 

on  Manufacturers,  1912-1913.) 
U.  S.  DEPT.  OF  COMMERCE  AND  LABOR.     BUREAU 

OF  CORPORATIONS.     Report  of  the  Commissioner 

of  Corporations  on  the  Tobacco  Industry.     Vol. 

I,  1909,  Continued. 


147 


IVENS,  W.  M.  Brief  and  argument  in  certain  ap- 
peals from  the  Circuit  Court  of  U.  S.  for  South- 
ern District  of  New  York.  (Tobacco  Monopoly, 
1911.) 

HOAGLAND,  I.  G.  The  Tobacco  Industry.  In 
Quarterly  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Assn., 
1907.  Vol.  I,  Nos.  2  and  4. 

JACOBSTEIN,  M.  The  Tobacco  Industry  in  the 
U.  S.  New  York,  1907. 


148 


CHAPTER  XVI 

SMOKING  PIPES 

HISTORY.    MATERIALS  USED  IN  MAKING.    MEER- 
SCHAUM.   BRIAR  ROOT.    AMBER.     SPECIAL 
KINDS   OF   PIPES.      CARE   OF   PIPES. 


149 


PIPES 

The  history  of  tobacco  smoking  pipes  began 
with  the  discovery  of  tobacco  by  the  Spaniards. 
How  long  before  that  event  they  were  used  is 
not  known,  but  that  they  were  used  by  the 
Indians  and  others  for  a  long  period  is  quite 
clear  from  many  items  of  evidence.  The  reader 
who  desires  information  concerning  pre-Colum- 
bian tobacco  pipes  is  referred  to  the  Pipes  and 
smoking  customs  of  the  American  Aborigines, 
by  J.  D.  McQuire,  based  on  the  material  in  the 
U.  S.  National  Museum  1889,  and  other  similar 
.archaological  works. 

The  first  mention  of  pipes  in  literature  ap- 
pears to  have  been  made  by  Oviedo  in  1535  in 
his  work  La  historia  general  de  las  Indias 
(Part  1).  In  this  there  is  a  small  wood  cut 
which  is  the  oldest  known  picture  of  a  pipe. 
This  pipe  was  shaped  like  a  Y — the  two  ends 
of  which  were  placed  in  the  nose  and  the  to- 
bacco leaves  in  the  stem.  The  smoke  was  inhaled. 
Oviedo  says  that  this  pipe  was  called  "Tabaca" 
from  which  the  name  tobacco  was  probably  de- 
rived. Admiral  John  Hawkins  was  the  first  to 
mention  the  pipe  in  English  literature  in  1564. 

Raleigh's  famous  smoking  feat  did  not  take 
place  until  1586. 


151 


The  Indian  pipes  were  principally  of  clay  and 
this  material  was  used  in  England  for  the  first 
pipes  made  there  and  continued  in  sole  use  for 
about  250  years.  From  England  it  came  to 
New  England,  with  the  first  colonists.  The 
Spaniards  of  South  America  did  not  generally 
use  pipes.  Meerschaum  as  a  pipe  making  ma- 
terial was  not  known  in  Europe  till  1723.  It 
came  about  in  this  way:  There  was  then  in 
Pesth  (Austria-Hungary)  an  honest  old  shoe- 
maker, Karl  Kowates,  who,  when  he  was  not 
making  or  mending  shoes,  made  pipes.  Count 
Andrassy,  was  one  of  his  pipe  patrons.  The 
Count  while  on  a  mission  to  Turkey  in  1723 
was  presented  with  a  lump  of  meerschaum. 
The  lightness  and  porosity  of  the  material  sug- 
gested to  him  that  it  would  be  a  very  suitable 
substance  for  a  pipe  bowl  and  on  his  return  to 
Pesth  he  handed  the  lump  to  Karl  to  make  a 
pipe  of  it.  It  seems  Karl  made  two,  one  for  the 
Count  and  one  for  himself.  But  Karl  did  more 
than  that.  The  nature  of  his  shoe  work  made 
his  hands  waxy  and  he  noticed  that  wherever  the 
pipe  was  waxed  by  his  hands  it  turned  into  spots 
of  clear  brown  color.  He  thus  discovered  the 
coloring  qualities  of  meerschaum.  Karl's  first 
pipe  is  still  preserved  (it  is  said)  at  Pesth. 

The  new  material  became  very  popular  and  it 
spread  from  Austria  all  over  pipe-smoking 
Europe.  152 


Wooden  pipes  do  not  appear  to  have  come 
into  use  till  the  early  part  of  the  19th  Century. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  interesting  lore  con- 
cerning early  clay  pipes  into  which  it  is  not 
proposed  to  enter  here.  It  will  be  interesting, 
however,  to  note  that  in  William  Penn's  land 
transactions  with  the  Indians,  300  clay  pipes 
(probably  English  make)  were  one  of  the 
articles  of  barter. 

The  earliest  clay  pipe  stems  were  about  9 
inches  long.  The  long  stem  pipes  with  glazed 
ends  were  introduced  about  the  year  1700  and 
were  known  as  "Aldermen."  The  pipe  known 
as  the  "Churchwarden"  with  a  very  long,  thin, 
curved  stem  which  was  typical  of  a  leisurable 
smoke  did  not  come  into  use  till  about  1819. 
In  those  days  smokers  did  not  commonly  carry 
pipes  around  with  them.  When  a  man  arrived 
at  an  inn  or  tavern  he  ordered  a  pipe  and  to- 
bacco, just  as  he  ordered  his  dinner.  The 
"Cutty"  or  "Aberdeen"  with  the  short  stem  was, 
however,  used  by  those  who  needed  a  pocket 
pipe. 

It  is  very  surprising  how  little  changes  the 
pipe  has  undergone.  The  original  pipe  was  a 
simple  bowl  and  stem,  and  the  best  pipe  today 
is  a  plain  bowl  and  stem;  for  although  hun- 
dreds of  devices  and  all  kinds  of  patents  have 
been  tried,  the  true  smoker  prefers  the  simple 

153 


plain  pipe  which  offers  no  obstacle  to  the  clear 
drawing  of  the  smoke  from  the  burning  tobacco. 

The  materials  used  for  pipes  differ  in  various 
countries.  Pipes  are  made  of  clay,  porcelain, 
wood,  metal,  glass,  ivory,  horn,  cane,  bamboo, 
stone,  etc.  There  is  no  know  material  which  in 
the  opinion  of  smokers  equals  genuine  meer- 
schaum as  a  material  for  pipes.  This  is  on  ac- 
count of  its  lightness,  its  coolness,  its  absorbing 
qualities  and  its  capabilities  of  high  polish  and 
assumption  of  a  beautiful  color  when  used  from 
soaking  the  essential  oils  of  the  tobacco.  Its 
friability,  however,  renders  it  more  suitable  for 
use  as  a  home  pipe  than  for  a  work-a-day  pipe. 

For  the  work-a-day  and  knock-about  pipe 
the  wooden  pipe  with  short  stem  is  without  a 
rival.  The  qualities  which  are  essential  for  a 
wooden  pipe  are  many  and  it  is  difficult  if  not 
impossible  to  get  any  material  that  will  aflswer 
all  of  them.  The  wood  for  such  a  pipe  must  be 
hard  and  practically  incombustible,  yet  light. 
It  must  be  sapless  and  inodorous  so  that  when 
heated  the  fragrance  of  the  tobacco  would  not 
be  mingled  with  that  of  the  wood  and  be  lost. 
In  addition  it  must  be  a  good  absorber,  cool 
and  have  beauty  of  grain  and  be  susceptible  of 
a  high  polish  and  must  not  be  brittle.  The 
wood  known  as  briar  root  possesses  these  quali- 

154 


ties  to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  wood 
known.  It  will  be  described  in  more  detail  later. 

Myall,  a  native  Austrian  wood  of  a  very  dark 
color,  hard  and  of  good  grain  has  many  excel- 
lent qualities  for  pipes,  but  is  brittle. 

Maple,  junipe  and  cherry  and  several  other 
woods  are  used  to  a  limited  extent. 

MEERSCHAUM 

Meerschaum  is  a  light,  porous,  clayey  sub- 
stance composed  of  magnesium,  oxygen  and 
silicon.  It  is  chemically  described  as  a  hydrated 
silicate  of  magnesia  and  its  chemical  formula  is 
Mg  Si2  04  +  2H20. 

The  work  meerschaum  is  composed  of  two 
German  words,  i.  e.,  Meer,  the  sea;  and  Schaum, 
foam,  and  literally  means  "the  foam  of  the 
sea."  A  popular  belief  being  that  the  substance 
was  petrified  sea  foam. 

The  circumstances  under  which  meerschaum 
came  to  be  used  for  smoking  pipes  have  already 
been  detailed.  Meerschaum  occurs  as  a  mineral 
more  or  less  scattered  all  over  the  world,  but 
the  largest  quantities  and  probably  the  best 
qualities  occur  in  Asia  Minor.  In  the  United 
States,  the  mineral  is  found  in  South  Carolina. 
Other  mines  occur  in  Spain,  Greece  and  Moroc- 
co. The  principal  mines  in  Asia  Minor  are 
situated  about  250  miles  southwest  of  Constan- 

155 


tinople,  on  the  plains  of  Eskishahr.  Meer- 
schaum has  been  in  use  for  sundry  purposes  in 
the  Orient  for  many  centuries  and  the  mines  of 
Asia  Minor  have  been  worked  for  at  least  1,000 
years.  The  result  is  that  they  are  now  ap- 
proaching exhaustion.  The  area  in  which  the 
mineral  occurs  principally  is  small,  about  six 
square  miles,  and  in  this  area  many  thousands 
of  pits  are  worked.  The  soil  is  alluvial  and  in 
these  deposits  the  meerschaum  is  found  in  soft 
lumps  and  nodules  having  no  definite  or  regular 
shape.  It  also  occurs  in  veins  among  the  Ser- 
pentine rocks  and  marls.  Although  it  is  soft 
when  taken  out  of  the  ground  it  rapidly  hardens 
when  exposed  to  the  air.  It  is  roughly  shaped 
and  cleaned  at  the  mines  and  from  thence  sent 
to  the  dealers  who  further  prepare  it  by  waxing 
and  polishing  and  put  it  on  the  market  in  the 
conditions  in  which  it  reaches  the  pipe  makers. 
The  principal  European  depots  for  meerschaum 
are  Constantinople  and  Vienna.  It  is  usually 
packed  in  boxes  containing  about  50  Ibs.  each 
and  sells  for  from  50c  to  $4.00  per  Ib. 

The  lumps  on  reaching  the  manufacturers 
are  first  cut  with  a  band  saw  into  suitable  sized 
blocks  according  to  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
pipes  desired.  These  blocks  are  then  thorough- 
ly soaked  in  water  until  they  are  thoroughly 
saturated.  The  soaking  renders  the  material 

156 


soft  and  soapy  and  gives  it  the  consistency  of 
cheese,  so  that  it  is  then  easily  shaped  into  the 
desired  form  which  the  pipe  is  to  take.  It  is 
then  dried  and  hardened  again  and  on  comple- 
tion the  bowl  is  hollowed  out  and  the  stem 
drilled.  If  the  pipe  is  a  plain  one  without 
carving  it  is  finished  on  a  lathe  and  filed  ready 
for  polishing.  It  is  also  threaded  for  the  mouth- 
piece. The  pipe  is  then  sent  to  the  drying  room 
for  such  time  as  is  necessary  to  expel  all  mois- 
ture. The  final  treatment  for  the  smoothing 
of  the  surface  is  done  by  fine  sandpaper  and 
other  special  substances,  then  immersing  in 
melted  white  beeswax  for  three  to  five  minutes 
and  finally  the  giving  of  a  high  polish  with 
precipitated  chalk,  cotton  and  flannel  being  the 
usual  rubbing  materials  used. 

Meerschaum  by  its  nature  is  particularly 
adapted  for  carving.  The  hand  carving  of  such 
pipes  requires  artistic  and  dexterous  craftsmen, 
who  are  experts  in  this  particular  class  of  work. 

There  are  various  imitations  of  meerschaum. 
One  is  made  from  burnt  gypsum  soaked  with 
lime  in  a  solution  of  gum  arabic.  This  forms  a 
hard,  creamy  plaster  and  is  capable  of  receiving 
a  highly  smooth  and  polished  marble-like  sur- 
face. 

Another  form  of  imitation  is  made  of  a  hard- 
ened plaster  of  Paris  highly  polished  and  tinted 

157 


in  a  solution  of  gamboge  and  dragon's  blood, 
being  afterwards  treated  with  paraffin  or  stearie 
acid.  All  cheaper  grades  of  meerschaum  pipes, 
holders,  etc.,  are  made  of  this  or  similar  com- 
pounds and  it  is  very  hard  for  the  average 
smoker  to  distinguish  them  as  the  ordinary 
tests  will  not  suffice.  The  absorption  and  color- 
ing qualities  are  about  the  same.  Such  imita- 
tions cost  about  half  as  much  as  the  genuine 
article  or  even  sometimes  less. 

It  should  be  added  that  the  chips  and  dust  re- 
sulting from  the  working  of  the  genuine  meer- 
schaum are  bonded  together  with  a  solution  and 
moulded  and  this  is  also  sold  as  meerschaum. 

The  number  of  genuine  meerschaum  pipes 
annually  manufactured  is  probably  much  less 
than  one-half  a  million,  while  there  are  probably 
three  or  four  times  as  many  imitations. 

BRIAR  ROOT 

As  we  have  seen  briar  root  is  found  to  be  the 
most  suitable  wood  for  pipe  smoking.  The 
word  briar  is  not  named  from  wild  briar.  The 
word  is  a  corruption  of  the  French  name  La 
Bruyere,  meaning  the  heather  shrub  of  that 
name  which  grows  along  the  Mediterranean 
coast  of  France,  Spain  and  neighboring  coun- 
tries. It  is  the  root  of  this  shrub  which  is  the 
substance  used.  The  shrub  is  especially  cul- 

158 


tured  for  the  purpose  of  pipe  making;  but  the 
area  in  which  the  best  briar  root  grows  is  very 
limited.  It  takes  considerable  time  and  the  re- 
sult is  that  the  supply  of  the  most  suitable  wood 
is  far  below  the  demand.  The  cultivation  of  the 
briar  root  is  a  simple  matter.  It  consists  mere- 
ly in  pruning  the  growth  as  much  as  possible 
so  as  to  encourage  and  strengthen  the  roots. 

The  very  best  qualities  of  briar  root  come 
from  Corsica  and  the  neighborhood  of  Leg- 
horn. It  is  very  finely  grained,  hard  and  tough, 
does  not  char  and  heats  slowly. 

When  full  grown  and  ready  for  the  market 
the  wood  is  rough  sawn  into  blocks,  varying  in 
size  from  3  inches  square  up,  according  to  the 
market  sizes  required,  and  allowed  to  season. 
When  fully  seasoned  the  blocks  are  packed  in 
boxes  each  containing  from  200  to  300  of  these 
blocks.  They  are  then  sent  to  the  dealers  or 
direct  to  the  pipe  factories  as  the  case  may  be. 

In  the  factory  the  blocks  are  sorted  and  then 
undergo  a  sweating  process  in  steam  vats  for 
ten  to  twelve  hours.  This  steaming  gives  the 
wood  the  familiar  brown-yellow  tint  of  the 
natural  briar  root  uncolored.  After  sweating 
the  blocks  are  sent  to  the  drying  room  as  all 
traces  of  moisture  must  be  removed.  This 
usually  takes  several  months.  For  pipe  making 
the  workman  selects  his  block  and  roughly  trims 

159 


it  to  size.  It  is  then  placed  in  the  frazing  ma- 
chine. This  usually  has  three  cutters  revolving 
at  very  high  speed,  making  several  thousand 
revolutions  per  minute.  The  center  cutter 
shapes  out  the  block  and  the  outer  knives  cut 
away  the  wood  on  the  outside  so  as  to  form  the 
block  roughly  into  the  shape  of  a  pipe  bowl  and 
stem.  This  is  then  placed  in  a  special  lathe  for 
cutting  irregular  forms.  It  is  usual  to  fit  in  it 
a  metal  pattern  of  the  particular  shape  chosen 
for  the  pipe.  A  circular  cutting  tool  is  set  in 
motion  and  the  briar  block,  which  turns  with 
the  metal  pattern,  is  mechanically  cut  to  the 
exact  shape  of  the  pattern.  After  cutting,  the 
pipe  passes  to  the  sandpapering  machines  where 
both  inside  and  outside  are  thoroughly  treated, 
and  it  gets  a  first  polishing  or  smoothing  on  a 
pumice  stone  wheel.  The  next  process  is  the 
boring  of  the  stem  which  is  done  in  a  drilling 
machine  by  a  steel  wire  having  a  cutting  top 
rapidly  turned  by  a  lathe.  The  thread  on  the 
end  of  the  stem  for  the  mouthpiece  is  formed 
by  a  special  machine.  The  pipe  is  then  ready 
for  polishers  and  finishers.  It  is  first  sand- 
papered four  times,  twice  with  rough  and  twice 
with  fine  on  revolving  wheels.  Unless  the  wood 
is  to  be  left  its  natural  color,  it  is  dropped  into 
a  vat  of  stain  until  it  acquires  the  color  desired. 
After  drying  it  is  ready  for  "buffing."  A  "buff" 

160 


is  a  wheel  made  of  many  layers  of  cloth,  leather, 
etc.,  which  revolves  very  rapidly.  For  pipe 
buffing  these  buffs  are  usually  Tripoli  buff, 
sheepskin  buff,  muslin  and  cotton  flannel  buff. 
The  Tripoli  takes  off  any  sediment  held  by  the 
edges  of  the  grain.  The  sheepskin  buff  burns 
the  color  fast  into  the  wood.  The  muslin  and 
cotton  bring  out  the  grain  and  gives  the  wood 
its  final  delicate  lustre  and  finish,  which  are 
done  when  the  stem  and  mountings  have  been 
put  on.  The  pipes  are  then  ready  for  final 
stamping  with  name  and  packing.  The  process 
is  much  the  same  with  all  other  hard  woods. 
Pipe  factories  are  found  in  most  countries. 
French  briar  pipes  are  justly  celebrated,  but 
the  American  pipes  are  better  made. 

Within  recent  years  calabash  has  come  into 
vogue  to  a  large  extent  as  a  pipe  making  ma- 
terial. The  calabash  is  a  South  African  squash 
and  has  a  special  softness  of  flavor.  The  curved 
stem  end  of  the  calabash  is  used,  being  lined 
with  plaster  of  Paris,  and  quite  a  large  trade 
has  sprung  up  in  South  Africa  in  growing 
calabash  for  the  pipe  trade,  the  principal  point 
being  Cape  Town. 

THE  PIPE  STEM 

It  is  very  important  that  suitable  material  be 
selected  for  the  mouthpiece  of  the  pipe.  In  fact 

161 


from  many  points  of  view  the  mouthpiece  is  the 
most  important  part  of  the  pipe  for  the  smoker, 
because  damage  to  the  lips  must  be  particularly 
avoided,  and  a  defective,  rough,  or  badly  made 
mouthpiece  is  apt  to  cause  damage.  There  are 
three  very  important  qualities  which  the  ma- 
terial must  have:  (1)  It  must  be  hard  enough 
to  resist  indentation  from  the  teeth  and  yet 
not  feel  gritty.  (2)  It  must  be  capable  of  re- 
ceiving a  perfectly  smooth  surface  and  of  re- 
taining it  under  the  action  of  saliva.  (3)  It 
must  not  be  a  rapid  heater  so  that  it  will  not 
burn  the  lips,  or  crack  or  splinter  under  action 
of  heat.  Other  very  desirable  qualities  are 
toughness,  beauty  of  appearance  and  freedom 
from  taste  or  odor  under  all  circumstances  of 
use. 

Amber  has  a  unique  place  in  fulfilling  these 
conditions.  Amber  is  a  fossil  gum  or  resin,  the 
juice  of  pine  trees,  which  in  course  of  time  has 
become  petrified  like  coal. 

Amber  is  found  is  various  parts  of  the  world, 
but  is  more  plentifully  found  along  the  sandy 
shores  of  East  Prussia  bordering  on  the  Baltic 
Sea.  This  area  was  in  time  long  past  the  site 
of  pine  forests.  The  amber  is  found  very  often 
to  occur  with  lignite  or  brown  coal.  It  is  dug 
out  of  the  cliffs  or  mined  like  coal  out  of  the 
ground.  Sometimes  it  is  washed  in  from  the 

162 


sea.  In  size  it  varies  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to 
lumps  as  large  as  an  orange.  When  first  dug 
up  it  is  usually  of  a  pale  yellow  color,  but  this 
becomes  darker  on  exposure.  The  manufacture 
of  commercial  amber  is  a  government  monopoly 
in  Prussia.  The  pieces  are  all  melted  down  at  a 
temperature  of  about  550°  F.,  and  then  after 
purification  it  is  cast  into  slabs  about  %  inch 
to  1%  inches  thick  and  four  inches  to  eight 
inches  long,  in  which  form  it  is  sold  to  dealers. 
There  are  two  qualities,  opaque  and  transpar- 
ent, the  opaque  being  the  tougher.  The  cost 
varies  considerably,  the  inferior  kinds  being 
sold  for  $2.00  per  pound,  and  the  finest  speci- 
mens cost  up  to  $60.00  per  pound. 

By  far  the  largest  quantity  of  amber  used  for 
ordinary  pipes  is  imitation  amber.  The  manu- 
facture of  this  is  a  trade  secret.  It  is  so  good 
and  fulfills  its  purpose  so  well  that  only  experts 
can  distinguish  it  from  genuine  amber.  There 
are  many  substitutes  for  amber. 

Good  vulcanite,  except  for  the  matter  of  ap- 
pearance is  little  inferior  to  amber  as  mouth- 
piece material.  Cut  vulcanite  is  cool  and 
smooth,  but  moulded  vulcanite  is  liable  to  be 
rough  to  the  lips  and  should  be  avoided.  Vul- 
canite mouthpieces  are  usually  sold  already 
finished  direct  to  the  pipe  makers. 

163 


Except  for  the  matter  of  brittleness  unglazed 
clay  is  a  most  excellent  pipe  stem.  Clay  is 
usually  cool  and  very  absorbent  of  the  acrid 
oils  occurring  in  the  distillation  of  tobacco. 
When  the  end  of  a  clay  stem  is  protected  by  a 
rubber  band,  it  forms  a  very  good  mouthpiece. 
Bone  and  other  materials  are  also  used  as 
mouthpieces.  Ebonite  is  used,  but  is  objec- 
tionable because  it  spoils  the  flavor  of  the  to- 
bacco. Celluloid  is  a  dangerous  substance  and 
should  not  be  used  as  a  pipe  stem. 

The  smoker  should  avoid  biting  the  mouth- 
piece as  it  roughens  it.  It  is  far  better  to  dis- 
card a  mouthpiece  when  it  becomes  indented, 
rough  or  worn  in  any  way.  A  damaged  mouth- 
piece should  on  no  account  be  used  when  the 
lips  are  chapped  or  lacerated  because  the  irrita- 
tion may,  if  continued,  lead  to  ulceration  and 
tobacco  juice  is  not  beneficial  to  skin  lesions. 

SPECIAL  PIPES 

German  pipes  are,  as  might  be  expected,  the 
most  correct  in  scientific  principle.  The  pipe 
has  two  bowls  the  upper  of  which  is  for  the 
tobacco.  This  fits  into  a  socket  which  allows 
the  oils  and  aqueous  solutions  due  to  the  dis- 
tillation to  pass  into  the  lower  bowl,  very  little 
getting  into  the  stem.  The  bowls  are  usually 
of  porcelain  and  the  long  curved  stem  is  of  wood 
mostly  cherry. 

164 


The  Dutch  pipe  is  similar  to  the  German  ex- 
cept that  the  stem  is  long  and  straight  which 
allows  the  bowl  to  rest  on  the  ground.  The 
German  pipe  is  usually  held  in  the  hand  by  the 
lower  bowl.  In  Turkey  and  Oriental  countries 
the  water  pipe  is  used.  This  form  of  pipe 
originated  in  Persia.  The  pipe  consists  of  a 
receptacle  for  the  tobacco,  which  has  a  perfo- 
rated bottom.  This  holder  fits  into  a  cup  from 
which  a  hollow  tube  leads  into  a  jar  containing 
water.  The  tube  passes  through  the  stopper  of 
the  jar  and  descends  almost  to  the  bottom  of 
the  water.  Another  tube,  the  inhaling  tube, 
also  passes  through  the  stopper  of  the  jar,  but 
does  not  reach  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  On 
drawing  through  the  inhaler  a  vacuum  is  created 
in  the  air  space  above  the  surface  of  the  water 
in  the  jar  which  induces  suction  through  the 
other  tube  below  the  water  level.  The  smoke 
therefore  bubbles  through  the  water  and  is 
cooled  before  it  reaches  the  mouth  of  the 
smoker.  It,  however,  requires  a  considerable 
amount  of  effort  to  draw  the  smoke  through. 

Water  pipes  are  used  extensively  among  the 
batter  classes  of  the  East.  Some  of  them  are 
very  gorgeous  affairs,  the  bowls  being  of  the 
richest  crystal  and  the  fittings  gold  or  silver  set 
with  gems.  Sometimes  they  have  several  smok- 
ing tubes  so  as  to  accommodate  more  than  one 

165 


smoker.  The  water  pipe  used  by  the  Shah  of 
Persia  is  said  to  be  worth  $400,000.00. 

In  Turkey  the  water  pipe  is  known  by  the 
name  of  Hookak.  In  Egypt  it  is  called  Nar- 
geeleh  (or  Narghile)  because  the  water  vessel 
is  usually  a  cocoa  nut  for  which  the  Arabic 
name  is  Na'rghee'leh.  The  Hookak  usually 
stands  on  the  floor  and  is  ponderous,  with  many 
smoking  tubes.  The  Nargeeleh  is  a  hand  pipe. 

In  Eastern  countries,  however,  besides  the 
water  pipe  the  ordinary  clay  bowl  pipe  is  used 
to  a  very  large  extent,  being  fitted  with  a  wooden 
stem  from  3  to  5  feet  in  length.  All  these  pipes 
are  essentially  home  pipes,  as  it  is  not  habitual 
with  the  Eastern  people  to  smoke  except  when 
seated. 

In  China  both  sexes  commonly  smoke  pipes — 
a  water  pipe  made  of  brass  is  usually  smoked 
by  the  richer  classes.  The  poorer  classes  use  a 
clay  pipe  with  a  bamboo  stem. 

The  principal  importation  into  the  United 
States  of  foreign  made  pipes  and  smokers' 
articles  is  from  Austria,  England  and  Germany. 
The  latest  government  statistics  show  that  from 
England  $278,000,  from  Austria  about  $280,- 
000,  and  from  Germany  about  $139,000  worth 
of  such  goods  are  annually  imported.  These 
are  principally  pipes.  Cigarette  paper,  briar 
root,  etc.,  are  not  included  in  these  figures. 

166 


The  total  importation  value  in  1912  (exclusive 
of  duty)  from  Europe  was  $1,478,000. 

THE  CAEE  OF  PIPES 

An  experienced  smoker  lays  down  the  follow- 
ing rules  for  the  care  of  pipes.  The  rules  apply 
whether  a  man  uses  one  or  half  a  dozen  pipes: 

(1)  When  a  pipe  is  used  for  the  first  time 
wipe  out  the  bowl  with  a  cloth.    Then  thorough- 
ly  wet   or   dampen   it.      Before   the   moisture 
evaporates  fill  the  pipe.     Light  evenly  and  be 
careful  not  to  burn  the  rim  with  the  lighted 
match.    The  tobacco  being  damp  next  the  wood 
will  not  redden  there,  hence  the  wood  will  not 
char  but  a  sooty  film  will  form. 

(2)  Ashes  should  be  allowed  to  remain  in 
the  pipe  till  thoroughly  cooled.    Then  emptied. 
The  object  of  this  is  to  allow  the  liquid  residue 
to  soak  into  the  pores  of  the  new  wood. 

(3)  Do  not  scrape  the  inner  surface  of  the 
bowl.    The  thin  coating  of  carbon  (the  "cake") 
which  is  formed  on  it  is  a  nonconductor  of  heat 
and   prevents   the   wood   from   overheating   or 
cracking.    It  keeps  the  pipe  cool  and  is  a  good 
absorber. 

(4)  After  half  a  dozen  smokes  the  rule  of  re- 
moving the  ashes   should  be  reversed.     They 
should  be   removed   promptly    after   smoking. 
Blow  through  the  mouthpiece  after  smoking. 

167 


By  this  time  the  inner  surface  of  bowl  is  suf- 
ficiently soaked  and  coated  and  continuation 
makes  it  acrid  and  sodden. 

(5)  Always  allow  your  pipe  to  cool  and  dry 
before  resmoking.     Use  pipe  cleaners  and  pipe 
spoon  for  cleaning.     When  the  "cake"  becomes 
too  thick  part  of  it  may  be  removed  but  always 
leave  a  layer  next  the  wood.     Be  careful  not  to 
scrape  the  surface  of  the  bowl. 

(6)  A  pipe  should  not  be  used  continuously 
for  more  than   a   few  weeks   or  a  month.      It 
should  then  be  cleaned  and  allowed  rest  unused" 
for  a  while.     It  is  well  to  allow  it  to  hang  where 
the  sunlight  can  play  on  it.     Acrid  matters  will 
dry  out  and  the  pipe  will  be  sweet  when  smoked 
again.     It  is  a  good  plan  to  pack  the  bottom 
of   the  bowl  with  powdered   chalk   when   it   is 
resting. 

When  a  pipe  tastes  acrid  it  requires  more 
than  ordinary  cleaning.  If  one  has  the  oppor- 
tunity a  most  excellent  way  is  to  blow  steam 
through  it,  first  removing  the  mouthpiece.  An- 
other way  recommended  by  a  smoker  who  says 
it  is  most  efficacious  is  to  fit  a  cork  into  the 
bowl  of  the  pipe.  Make  a  hole  in  the  cork,  into 
which  the  nozzle  of  a  soda  siphon  will  fit  snugly. 
Direct  the  mouthpiece  into  some  emptying  ves- 
sel and  force  about  a  wine  glass  of  the  soda 

168 


water  from  the  siphon  through  the  pipe.  It 
will  clean  it  out  effectively. 

If  you  are  smoking  a  meerschaum  and  desire 
it  to  color  well  and  evenly  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
use  a  false  upper  bowl  to  fit  inside  the  bowl  of 
your  pipe.  The  rim  of  fire  where  the  tobacco 
is  burning  makes  the  pipe  bowl  too  hot  and  does 
not  allow  that  part  to  color.  The  false  bowl 
will  prevent  this.  Some  smokers  think  that 
covering  a  meerschaum  bowl  with  chamois  will 
cause  it  to  color  well.  The  chamois  will  not 
aid  the  coloring  but  it  will  protect  the  bowl 
from  being  touched  by  the  hand  during  the 
process  and  thus  avoiding  a  spotty  effect,  par- 
ticularly if  the  hand  should  be  moist  or  greasy. 
During  the  progress  of  the  coloring  the  pipe 
should  never  be  allowed  to  get  too  hot.  The 
time  required  to  color  a  pipe  depends  on  the 
tobacco  used.  If  it  is  a  rich  oily  tobacco,  the 
time  necessary  is  shorter  than  with  a  dry  to- 
bacco. 

Imitation  meerschaum  of  the  cheaper  kind 
are  sometimes  artificially  colored  by  the  makers. 
This  is  done  by  boiling  the  pipe  in  an  oily  solu- 
tion of  nicotine,  the  formula  for  which  as  given 
in  the  American  Druggist,  V.  58,  is : 

Crude  nicotine  (oil  of  tobacco)=§  i. 

Olive  oil=|j  ii. 

Yellow  wax=3  viii. 

169 


The  pipe  is  kept  in  the  boiling  solution  from 
10  to  15  minutes  and  rapidly  absorbs  it.  The 
surface  is  capable  of  a  high  polish. 

REFERENCES 

PENN,  W.  A.  The  Soverane  Herbe:  a  History  of 
Tobacco.  London  and  New  York,  1901. 

FAIRHOLT,  F.  W.  Tobacco;  its  History  and  As- 
sociations. London,  1876. 


170 


CHAPTER  XVII 

EFFECTS  OF  TOBACCO  SMOKING  ON 
THE  HUMAN  SYSTEM 

PHYSICAL  EFFECTS.    OPINIONS  OF  MEDICAL  MEN 

QUOTED    AND    DISCUSSED 


171 


EFFECTS  OF  TOBACCO  SMOKING  ON 
THE  HUMAN  SYSTEM 

It  is  a  matter  of  very  great  importance  for 
the  user  of  tobacco  that  he  should  have  clear 
information  regarding  the  beneficial  and  harm- 
ful effects  of  tobacco  on  the  human  mind  and 
body.  There  are  very  few  matters  which  have 
been  the  subject  of  such  varied  opinions;  such 
exaggeration  and  misconception.  Those  who 
are  opposed  to  the  use  of  tobacco  have  not 
hesitated  to  ascribe  to  it  every  form  of  evil, 
physical,  mental  and  moral.  Insanity,  epilepsy, 
cancer,  malignant  throat  disease,  blindness, 
heart  disease  and  a  host  of  other  diseased  con- 
ditions are  traced  to  tobacco  smoking  by  its 
enemies.  On  the  other  hand  the  users  of  to- 
bacco are  scarcely  less  vehement  in  holding  that 
no  harmful  effects  follow,  but  ascribing  all 
kinds  of  virtue  as  resulting  from  its  use.  It  is 
not  our  object  in  this  chapter  to  justify  or 
recommend  the  use,  or  to  advise  the  avoidance 
of  tobacco ;  we  think  it  is  a  matter  that  the  in- 
dividual should  decide  for  himself.  Moreover, 
we  think  that  no  general  rules  governing  all 
cases  can  be  laid  down,  but  that  each  individual 
must  judge  for  himself  whether  the  use  of  to- 
bacco is  justified  in  his  own  particular  case  or 
not,  taking  into  consideration  all  the  circum- 

173 


stances  that  affect  him.  The  important  thing 
is  that  he  should  possess  clear  and  correct  in- 
formation with  regard  to  the  effects  of  tobacco 
as  far  as  such  have  been  scientifically  deter- 
mined; and  from  the  observation  of  its  effects 
on  his  own  organism  to  determine  whether  in 
his  own  case  the  practice  is  beneficial  or  other- 
wise and  to  what  extent  it  may, be  pursued  if 
he  desires  to  smoke. 

We,  therefore,  purpose  to  submit  the  facts 
which  have  been  determined  by  the  most  careful 
scientific  investigators  and  others  of  high  stand- 
ing, who,  from  their  experience  in  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  causes  of  disease,  are  best  qualified 
to  offer  opinions  which  may  be  accepted  as 
authoritative. 

A  perusal  of  the  vast  amount  of  literature 
both  for  and  against  the  use  of  tobacco  brings 
out  certain  points  very  largely.  First,  in  the 
case  of  the  opponents,  the  most  sweeping  state- 
ments are  made  without  a  particle  of  scientific 
proof  in  support  of  them,  by  persons  who  are  in 
no  way  qualified  to  make  such  statements. 
Statistics  are  quoted  most  recklessly  and  ac- 
cepted as  conclusive,  although  in  most  cases 
there  is  no  logical  connection  between  the  mat- 
ter of  the  statistics  and  the  absolute  effects  of 
tobacco.  If  there  is  a  question  of* a  certain 
condition,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  show  that  the 

174 


person  suffering  from  it  was  a  user  of  tobacco 
and  to  allege,  therefore,  that  tobacco  was  the 
cause  of  the  condition.  It  must  be  shown  con- 
clusively that  no  other  circumstances  than  the 
use  of  tobacco  could  have  caused  this  condition. 
Dr.  T.  W.  Jenkins,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  (New 
York  Medical  Journal,  1915,  V.  102,  p.  355), 
who  was  awarded  a  prize  by  this  leading  medical 
journal  for  his  essay  on  tobacco  smoking  says: 
"The  first  thing  to  bear  in  mind  is  that  con- 
sidering the  large  amount  of  tobacco  used  very 
little  harm  results,  and  care  should  be  taken 
not  to  incriminate  tobacco  when  the  troubles 
under  observation  may  be  due  to  other  causes." 
Secondly,  among  the  investigators  themselves 
who  have  made  impartial  inquiries  about  the 
effects  of  tobacco,  there  is  sometimes  a  wide  dif- 
ference of  opinion  in  the  interpretation  of  re- 
sults and  in  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect. 
Thus  most  varied  opinions  exist  on  the  subject 
of  nicotine.  The  result  is  that  it  is  difficult  for 
the  average  man  to  come  to  a  satisfactory  con- 
clusion on  the  subject;  for  it  cannot  be  said 
that  the  scientific  knowledge  of  the  effects  of 
tobacco  smoking  on  the  human  system  as  pre- 
sented to  us  today  is  final  or  sufficiently  well 
determined  to  enable  definite  and  true  conclu- 
sions to  tie  arrived  at. 

175 


Thirdly,  there  is  the  widespread  error  of 
ascribing  the  evils  of  the  abuses  of  tobacco  to 
the  use  of  tobacco.  This  matter  of  the  use  and 
abuse  of  tobacco  cannot  be  put  too  clearly. 
Most  medical  investigators  have  based  their 
results  clearly  on  the  excessive  use  of  tobacco. 
It  is  a  very  rare  thing  to  find  a  medical  investi- 
gator drawing  attention  to  any  harmful  results 
following  the  moderate  use  of  tobacco,  and  it 
appears  a  just  statement  to  make  that  the 
majority  of  men  use  tobacco  in  moderation.  It 
appears  to  be  true  that  excessive  smoking  is 
harmful  and  is  capable  of  producing  deleterious 
effects  on  the  respiratory  and  nervous  systems 
in  man,  but  ifc  has  never  been  scientifically 
proved  that  the  moderate  use  of  tobacco  has  any 
particularly  harmful  effects.  Moreover,  it  is 
well-known  to  the  medical  profession  and  so 
stated  constantly  that  in  many  cases  where  the 
use  of  tobacco  has  produced  bad  effects  on  the 
eye,  nerves,  etc.,  its  use  is  contra-indicated,  ow- 
ing to  the  condition  of  the  subject  due  to  other 
causes  and  that  such  results  would  not  occur 
in  a  normally  healthy  subject.  Therefore,  be- 
cause tobacco  when  used  excessively  or  when 
used  by  persons  who  are  not  constitutionally 
fitted  for  it,  produces  bad  effects,  it  is  not 
logical  to  argue,  as  many  opponents  of  tobacco 

176 


smoking  do,  that  the  use  of  tobacco  is  univer- 
sally harmful. 

Fourthly,  the  conclusions  arrived  at  by  some 
investigators,  are  based  on  experiments  made 
on  animals,  and  it  appears  quite  open  to  criti- 
cism, and  is  in  fact  disproved  by  common  ex- 
perience, that  such  results  will  follow  when  ap- 
plied to  man.  Hinging  on  this  is  the  question 
of  immunity  and  toleration.  The  human  system 
will  easily  after  use  tolerate  effects  which  at 
first  it  rebels  against.  This  may  easily  be  seen 
in  muscular  and  other  efforts.  Let  a  man  who 
is  constantly  leading  a  sedentary  life  suddenly 
walk  10  miles.  The  result  is  almost  prostration 
and  he  will  not  recover  from  it  for  a  consider- 
able time.  Let  him,  however,  commence  by 
walking  a  mile  or  two  and  gradually  at  each 
walk  increase  the  distance,  and  in  a  short  while 
he  will  be  able  to  walk  10  miles  without  feeling 
any  fatigue.  Similarly  running  or  other  rapid 
exercise  to  a  person  not  used  to  it  will  produce 
such  rapid  disturbances  in  the  respiration  and 
circulation  as  even  to  be  fatal,  while  the  sea- 
soned athlete  may  perform  such  feats  without 
the  least  ill  effects. 

To  take  animals  or  persons  who  have  never 
before  used  tobacco  and  to  argue  or  conclude 
that  the  effects  of  tobacco  smoke  on  them  are 
the  effects  of  tobacco  on  smokers  generally  is 

177 


absurd.  Yet  such  experimental  results  are  very 
often  made  the  basis  of  denunciation  of  tobacco 
smoking. 

Finally  most  investigators  have  made  their 
inquiries  for  the  exclusive  purpose  of  discover- 
ing the  evil  effects  of  tobacco  smoking.  They 
proceed  to  their  work  with  a  biassed  mind. 
They  have  already  assumed  that  the  habit  is 
harmful  and  they  simply  want  to  find  out  how 
much  harm  they  can  discover.  They  are  pre- 
judiced from  the  beginning.  It  is  to  this  class 
of  investigator  that  Dr.  John  Aikman  refers  to 
(New  York  Medical  Journal,  Oct.  30,  1915), 
when  he  says :  "In  reading  the  literature  on  the 
use  of  tobacco  we  are  impressed  by  the  fact  that 
much  of  it  is  written  by  persons  greatly  op- 
posed to  the  use  of  the  plant,  and  naturally 
prejudiced."  It  is  quite  conceivable  that  a  man 
may  investigate  the  evil  effects  which  follow 
from  wearing  clothes  and  shoes  and  he  could 
undoubtedly  find  some  evil  effects ;  but  the  users 
of  such  articles  could  very  justly  say  that  the 
beneficial  results  of  such  habits  more  than  out- 
weighed the  demonstrated  harm  that  might 
occur.  And  then  the  user  of  tobacco  might  say 
that  the  beneficial  effects  of  smoking  more  than 
compensated  for  any  slight  harm  that  may  hap- 
pen. For  tobacco  has  undoubtedly  many  excel- 
lent effects,  and  no  one  knows  this  better  than 

178 


the  smoker  himself.  He  will  readily  admit  that 
excess  is  bad.  He  will  readily  admit  that  the 
use  of  tobacco  is  not  suitable  to  immature  per- 
sons, or  in  fact  to  many  other  persons,  but  he 
insist  that  in  the  majority  of  cases,  it  is  not 
only  practically  harmless  but  that  it  has  many 
desirable  qualities,  for  that  is  proved  by  his 
own  experience  and  the  experience  of  millions 
of  other  smokers  in  all  ages  and  under  all  con- 
ditions. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  consider  some  of  the 
effects  which  have  been  ascribed  to  tobacco 
smoking  and  give  expressed  opinions  concern- 
ing them. 

PHYSICAL  EFFECTS  OF  TOBACCO  SMOKING 
The  principal  deleterious  effects  on  the  hu- 
man system  ascribed  to  the  use  of  tobacco  are : 

(a)  Throat  diseases. 

(b)  Disturbance  of  vision. 

(c)  Heart  troubles  (smokers'  heart). 

(d)  Disturbance    of   the    digestive    organs 
(dyspepsia,  etc.). 

(e)  Disturbance  of  the  nervous  system. 

(f)  Disturbance  of  nutrition. 

As  regards  (a)  throat  diseases,  the  following 
is  the  opinion  of  Dr.  H.  Reik  of  the  Johns  Hop- 
kins University,  surgeon  to  the  Baltimore  Eye, 
Ear  and  Throat  Hospital,  as  expressed  by  him 

179 


in  the  Boston  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal, 
Vol.  162,  p.  856,  1910: 

"There  is  not  one  scintilla  of  evidence  that 
malignant  disease  of  the  throat  is  due  in  any 
way  to  the  use  of  tobacco ;  and  if  it  be  admitted 
that  carcinoma  (cancer)  of  the  lip  or  tongue 
has  been  produced  by  smoking,  it  is  clearly 
not  tobacco,  but  traumatism  (i.  e.,  injury)  from 
the  stems  of  the  pipe  or  other  tobacco  con- 
tainer that  is  responsible. 

"It  does  not  appear  or  at  least  has  not  been 
proven  that  tobacco  causes  any  definite  charac- 
teristic lesions  of  the  nose,  throat  or  ear." 

Dr.  Reik  is  a  man  of  high  standing  in  the 
medical  profession.  His  opinion  is  clear  and 
unmistakable  and  it  is  presumed  he  has  seen 
thousands  of  cases  of  nose  and  throat  diseases 
and  knows  what  he  is  talking  about. 

Dr.  Reik  refers  to  the  question  of  so-called 
smokers'  cancer.  Cancer  is  a  disease  which  at- 
tacks all  kinds  of  people  and  may  occur  in 
widely  different  parts  of  the  body.  The  causa- 
tion of  this  disease  is  not  known  to  the  medical 
profession  but  what  is  known  about  it  is  that  it 
usually  occurs  on  the  site  of  some  previous  in- 
jury. Thus  cancer  .may  occur  on  the  tongue 
as  the  result  of  the  constant  irritation  of  a 
jagged  broken  tooth. 

180 


Dr.  I.  C.  Bloodgood  (Boston  Medical  and 
Surgical  Journal,  No.  2,  1914),  who  has  ex- 
amined 200  cases  of  lip  cancer  says  that  smok- 
ing is  a  common  factor,  the  disease  when  occur- 
ing  being  usually  on  the  site  of  a  neglected  and 
ulcerated  smoker's  burn.  The  burn  may  be  a 
charring  of  the  skin  due  to  a  very  hot  pipe  stem 
or  burning  cigar  stem.  He  says,  moreover, 
that  if  the  burn  is  not  continued  and  there  is  no 
other  injury,  this  defect  may  heal  without  evi- 
dence of  ulceration. 

Similarly  a  cancer  may  be  the  result  of  con- 
tinual use  of  a  broken  or  rough  pipe  stem  or 
from  using  a  pirty  pipe  stem  on  a  broken  skin. 
All  these  are  clearly  matters  which  the  average 
smoker  easily  and  usually  avoids.  It  is,  how- 
ever, clear  that  tobacco  itself  is  in  no  way 
responsible  for  cancer,  and  no  responsible 
medical  writer  on  the  subject  alleges  that  it  is. 

Most  of  the  medical  writers  who  have  in- 
scribed injurious  physical  effects  on  the  nerv- 
ous system,  heart  and  sense  organs,  to  excessive 
tobacco  smoking  have  stated  that  these  effects 
are  due  to  the  toxic  action  of  the  alkaloid 
nicotine  known  to  exist  in  tobacco.  There  is 
a  wide  difference,  however,  in  the  results  ob- 
tained by  different  writers  as  to  the  amount  of 
the  nicotine  in  tobacco  which  finds  its  way  with 
the  tobacco  smoke.  Moreover,  some  of  the  in- 

181 


vestigators  who  have  done  very  careful  work  do 
not  consider  that  nicotine  is  the  toxic  element, 
but  the  substance  called  pyridine  which  is  de- 
rived from  it. 

Dr.  Bush  (quoted  below)  referring  to  this 
matter  says: 

"From  a  review  of  the  literature  it  would  ap- 
pear that  extensive  studies  had  been  made  as  to 
the  effects  on  living  organisms  of  the  alkaloid, 
nicotine.  From  such  studies  a  great  number 
of  writers,  especially  laymen,  have  adopted  the 
hasty  conclusion  that  tobacco  smoking  entailed 
like  results. 

"Comparatively  few  studies  have  been  made 
of  the  effects  of  tobacco  smoking  on  human  be- 
ings ;  and  such  as  have  been  made  fail  to  state 
if  the  tobacco  used  or  the  smoke  produced  was 
examined  for  nicotine  or  its  congeners.  The 
absence  of  an  examination  necessarily  causes 
some  doubt  in  the  causative  faction  of  the 
phenomena.  Some  authors  are  rather  inclined 
to  conclude  that  nicotine  alone  is  the  pathogenic 
factor  in  tobacco  smoking,  but  since  the  pres- 
ence of  nicotine  per  se  in  tobacco  smoke  is  de- 
batable and  since  other  toxic  substances  are 
demonstrable,  it  would  seem  as  if  the  whole  sub- 
ject still  remained  open  for  investigation." 

The  nicotine  contained  in  ordinary  tobacco, 
according  to  many  authors,  ranges  from  about 

182 


1  to  8  or  9  per  cent.  Lee's  investigation  {Jour- 
nal of  Physiology,  1908,  p.  335)  found  that 
about  half  of  the  total  nicotine  was  present  in 
the  smoke — according  to  Lee  the  pyridin  seemed 
to  be  entirely  without  influence. 

Lehmann  (Archiv  fur  Hygiene,  1909,  p.  319) 
found  that  from  80  to  90%  of  the  total  nicotine 
in  a  cigar  or  cigarette  was  to  be  found  in  the 
smoke.  He  found  also  that  in  the  case  of  cigars 
about  10  to  18%  of  the  nicotine  in  the  smoke 
is  absorbed  by  the  smoker  and  that  cigarette 
smoke  absorbed  by  the  smoker  contains  a  less 
proportion  of  the  nicotine  in  the  tobacco  than 
is  the  case  with  cigars.  The  general  opinion 
is,  however,  that  about  one-seventh  of  the  nico- 
tine in  the  tobacco  will  be  found  in  the  smoke. 

Entirely  at  variance  with  these  results  are 
those  obtained  recently  by  A.  D.  Bush,  M.D., 
Instructor  of  Physiology  in  the  University  of 
Vermont  (New  York  Medical  Journal,  March 
14,  1914),  and  those  obtained  in  the  laboratory 
investigation  by  the  London  Laucet.  Bush 
made  long  and  extensive  investigations  on  the 
effects  of  tobacco  smoking  and  criticised  the 
results  of  previous  workers.  He  shows  very 
clearly  that  in  many  cases  the  conclusions 
drawn  by  them  as  regards  nicotine  contained  in 
tobacco  smoke  are  either  entirely  erroneous  or 
that  the  deductions  made  from  the  investiga- 

183 


tions  were  not  warranted  by  the  facts  observed. 
He  points  out  the  fact  that  most  writers  on  the 
subject  have  overlooked  the  fact  of  the  great 
discrepancy  between  the  possible  effects  aris- 
ing from  the  administration  of  the  amount  of 
nicotine  in  a  cigar  and  the  actual  effect  pro- 
duced on  the  smoker  of  the  cigar.  He  asks  this 
pertinent  question :  "If  a  cigar  contains  0.085 
grains  nicotine,  and  if  one-seventh  of  the  nico- 
tine of  the  tobacco  is  present  in  the  smoke  and 
if  but  .004  grains  is  capable  of  causing  death, 
why  does  the  smoker  not  absorb  enough  nicotine 
to  cause  his  demise?" 

As  a  result  of  his  careful  experiments,  Bush 
found  that  although  nicotine  was  present  in  all 
the  samples  of  tobacco  tested  there  was  no 
nicotine  whatever  found  in  the  smoke,  except 
in  the  case  of  cigarettes  and  in  this  case  only 
traces  were  found.  The  reason  of  this  is  given 
as  due  to  the  rapid  burning  of  the  cigarette 
which  did  not  allow  sufficient  time  for  the  com- 
plete decomposition  of  the  nicotine.  Pyridinc 
was,  however,  found  in  the  smoke  of  all  tobacco 
burned.  Pyridine  is  only  one-twentieth  as 
toxic  as  nicotine.  Bush  concluded,  therefore, 
that  pyridine  and  not  nicotine  is  the  toxic  fac- 
tor in  tobacco  smoke.  The  same  fact  was  stated 
several  years  ago  by  Rideal  (Disinfection  and 
Preservation  of  Food,  London  and  New  York, 

184 


1903,  p.  254),  who  says:  "Tobacco  smoke, 
contrary  to  popular  belief,  does  not  contain 
nicotine,  which  is  decomposed  by  the  heat; 
but  pyridine  and  its  homologues  and  the  bene- 
ficial effects  of  tobacco  in  many  cases  of  asthma 
must  be  attributed  to  this  latter." 

The  Lancet  investigation  (see  Lancet,  Ap.  6, 
1912,  pp.  944-947)  was  mode  because  "a  recent 
review  of  numerous  analysis  of  tobacco  which 
have  been  published  from  time  to  time  raises 
some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  results  given  cor- 
rectly represent  the  actual  alkaloidal  contents 
of  the  tobacco."  Moreover,  to  find  the  relation- 
ship of  the  true  amount  of  nicotine  in  any 
tobacco  to  that  in  the  smoke  produced  by  the 
combustion  of  that  tobacco,  and  any  modifica- 
tion caused  by  the  method  of  smoking. 

The  investigation  was  conducted  under  the 
strictest  conditions,  the  most  recent  methods  of 
chemical  research  being  employed. 

The  following  table  (given  by  the  Lancet) 
shows  the  nicotine  contents  of  various  tobacco 
samples  and  the  percentage  of  nicotine  in  the 
smoke : 


J85 


Description  of 
Tobacco. 


Virginian  Cigarettes   (Sample   1)    ..  1.40  0.74  0.12 

Virginian  Cigarettes   (Sample  2)    ..  1.60  0.60  0.06 

Caporal    (French)    Tobacco    2.60  2.20  0.95 

Turkish   Cigarettes    1.38  0.51 

Egyptian    Cigarettes    1.74  0.21 

Pipe   Smoking   Mixture    (1)    2.85  2.20  2.25 

Pipe   Smoking   Mixture    (2)    2.81  1.53 

Pipe    Smoking   Mixture    (3)    2.04  0.23  

Perique  Tobacco   5.30  1.27  0.57 

Cavendish    Tobacco    4.15  3.85 

Latakia  Tobacco   2.35  1.20 

Havana   Cigar    0.64  ....  0.20 

From  this  analysis  it  appears  that  pipe  mix- 
tures contain  the  largest  amount  of  nicotine  in 
the  tobacco  (2.04-2.85%).  Egyptian  and 
Turkish  cigarette  tobaccos  come  next  (1.38- 
1.74%).  Virginian  cigarette  tobacco  shows 
similar  figures  (1.40-1.60%).  French  tobacco 
(Caporal)  contains  2.60%,  and  Perique  5.30%. 
For  all  practical  purposes  the  tobaccos  con- 
sumed by  the  public  according  to  this  report 
seldom  contain  more  than  3%  of  nicotine  and 
generally  less,  the  average  being  about  2%, 
which  is  much  lower  than  previous  writers  lead 
us  to  expect. 

The  cigarette,  whether  Egyptian,  Turkish 
or  American,  yields  the  least  amount  of  its  total 

186 


nicotine  to  the  smoke  formed,  while  the  pipe 
yields  a  very  large  portion  (in  some  cases  be- 
tween 70  and  80%)  of  its  nicotine  to  the  smoke. 
Analysis  of  cigar  smoke  gives  figures  midway 
between  the  two. 

With  the  results  of  Bush  and  the  Lancet 
before  him  the  user  of  tobacco  will  be  better 
able  to  judge  of  the  opinions  of  those  who  des- 
cribe the  effects  of  nicotine  on  the  vision,  heart, 
digestive  organs,  etc.,  as  likely  to  be  the  results 
of  tobacco  smoking. 

Thus  the  disturbance  of  vision  ascribed  to 
tobacco  smoking  is  called  tobacco  amblyopia. 

Dr.  W.  S.  Franklin  of  San  Francisco  (Calif. 
State  Jour,  of  Med.,  1909,  V.  7,  p.  85),  says 
that  to  produce  this  disease  it  is  necessary  to 
smoke  daily  from  .75  to  1.0  gms.  of  pure  nico- 
tine. If  17%  of  the  nicotine  of  tobacco  is  car- 
ried in  the  smoke,  in  order  to  absorb  that  quan- 
tity 7  or  8  cheap  domestic  cigars,  10  or  11 
Cubans  or  60  cigarettes  should  be  smoked.  Now 
very  few  smokers  consume  this  amount  and  ac- 
cording to  Bush,  and  the  Lancet,  and  others 
there  is  no  such  percentage  of  nicotine  in  the 
smoke. 

To  the  use  of  tobacco  is  ascribed  an  acid 
dyspepsia — this,  however,  is  noticed  more  par- 
ticularly in  habitual  chewers  and  in  this  case 
the  nicotine  not  being  burnt  has  no  chance  of 

187 


being  decomposed.  All  writers  have  agreed  that 
chewing  is  the  worst  way  that  tobacco  can  be 
used.  Dr.  R.  V.  Dolbey  says:  (Northwest 
Medicine,  1909,  V.  1  p.  99). 

"In  chewing,  quantities  of  watery  extract  of 
tobacco  are  swallowed  and  taken  down  with 
the  food  containing  a  large  percentage  of  nico- 
tine and  causing  severe  dyspepsia.  While  to- 
bacco juice  solution  in  the  laboratory  kills  in- 
testinal bacteria,  excessive  tobacco  chewing 
does  not  have  this  effect  on  the  human  body 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  gastric  and  pan- 
creatic juices  act  on  it  and  alter  it." 

Dr.  I.  S.  Gilfilian  discusses  the  effects  of  to- 
bacco on  the  heart  in  the  St.  Paul  Medical 
Journal,  July,  1912,  p.  338.  He  says  that  the 
important  part  whether  organic  changes  in  the 
cardio-vascular  system  may  be  produced  by 
tobacco  is  still  doubtful,  and  that  it  has  never 
been  shown  that  smokers  suffer  more  from  or- 
ganic heart  disease  than  nonsmokers. 

General  opinion  is  that  smoking  lessens  the 
pulse  rate  and  slightly  increases  the  blood  pres- 
sure, and  that  it  is  a  cause  of  arterio-sclerosis. 

With  regard  to  arterio-sclerosis,  Dr.  A.  Lor- 
and  of  Carlsbad  who  is  a  world-wide  authority 
on  the  effects  of  toxic  substances  on  the  blood, 
says  in  his  book,  Old  Age  Deferred  (English 
translation,  1910,  p.  367)  : 

188 


"Clinically  we  have  observed  the  great  fre- 
quency of  arterio-sclerosis  in  great  smokers,  but 
we  do  not  think  that  two  or  three  light  cigars 
a  day,  but  never  before  meals,  can  do  any  harm 
save  in  exceptional  cases.  Indeed  there  are  a 
few  instances  of  persons  living  to  be  over  100, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were 
smokers — a  fact  contrary  to  the  observation 
of  Hufeland  who  pretends  that  he  never  heard 
of  such  a  case.  The  famous  English  painter, 
Frith,  who  died  in  October,  1909,  used  to  smoke 
6  cigars  a  day,  and  Mr.  F.  of  Chartres,  in 
France,  passed  last  year  his  100th  birthday  in 
spite  of  his  having  taken  snuff  all  his  life." 

If  there  were  any  serious  lesions  caused  in  the 
human  system  by  the  continued  use  of  tobacco 
we  might  naturally  expect  that  life  insurance 
companies  would  take  notice  of  it,  but  hear 
what  they  have  to  say  {Medical  Record,  New 
York,  July  12,  1913)  : 

Dr.  H.  G.  Turney,  at  the  meeting  of  Life 
Insurance  Medical  Officers  Association,  London, 
January,  1913,  said  that  as  far  as  observation 
and  study  of  the  literature  went  he  did  not  con- 
sider that  there  was  much  evidence  that  the 
habit  of  smoking  can  be  convicted  of  any  seri- 
ous effect  on  the  mortality  table.  One  must 
confess  rather  to  a  feeling  of  surprise  that  the 
life-long  absorption  of  so  potent  a  drug  as 

189 


nicotine  by  a  large  proportion  of  the  male 
population  should  not  be  accompanied  by  more 
obvious  results  in  the  way  of  serious  injury  to 
the  cardiac  muscle  than  appears  to  be  the  case. 

Dr.  A.  Marvin  of  the  Department  of  Pharma- 
cology, Vermont  University,  made  numerous  ex- 
periments on  the  effects  produced  by  tobacco. 
In  the  cases  of  the  respiratory  system,  he  states 
that  in  rapid  smoking  the  respiratory  rate  is 
increased,  due  more  to  the  effort  than  to  the 
drug.  In  deliberate  smoking  there  is  very  little 
effect.  In  the  digestive  system  the  effects  pro- 
duced were,  increased  flow  of  saliva  and  stimula- 
tion of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach 
and  intestines.  Marvin  did  not  find  any  import- 
ant symptoms  of  systemic  irregularities  except 
where  there  was  excessive  use  of  tobacco.  He 
says :  "Tobacco  produces,  when  used  to  excess, 
symptoms  in  a  very  small  per  cent  and  often  it 
is  only  one  factor  in  producing  the  conditions 
observed."  A  very  cautiously  expressed  and 
noncommittal  opinion. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  of  the  percentage 
of  nicotine  in  tobacco  smoke  only  a  small  por- 
tion is  drawn  into  the  smoker's  system.  The 
greater  part  passes  off  again  in  the  smoke 
passed  out;  also  that  the  products  of  combus- 
tion of  tobacco  include  acqueous  solution  as 

190 


well  as  smoke ;  it  will  not  probably  be  questioned 
that  some  of  this  watery  solution  is  drawn  into 
the  mouth  as  well  as  the  smoke  and  probably 
contains  minute  quantities  of  nicotine  or  its 
derivatives. 

The  smoker  may  obviate  any  slight  harmful 
effects  of  these  substances  by  care.  If  he  is  a 
cigar  smoker  he  must  avoid  chewing  or  sucking 
the  butt  end  of  the  cigar  in  which  the  acqueous 
solution  finally  gathers,  and  he  would  find  it 
better  to  smoke  long  thin  cigars  which  afford 
a  small  area  behind  the  burning  point  for  the 
collection  of  acqueous  vapor  and  give  a  better 
combustion.  Judged  from  these  viewpoints  the 
best  and  most  expensive  thick  cigar  is  likely  to 
be  more  harmful  than  the  very  worst  kind  of  a 
cigarette,  for  although  there  may  be  a  much 
smaller  percentage  of  nicotine  in  the  cigar  to- 
bacco, a  much  larger  proportion  of  it  may  reach 
the  mouth  of  the  smoker  through  the  water  pro- 
duced by  combustion,  in  the  case  of  the  cigar 
than  in  the  case  of  the  cigarette. 

Every  cigar  and  cigarette  smoker  should  use 
a  holder  for  the  reason  stated.  The  cigarette 
from  the  nicotine  point  of  view  is  the  least  ob- 
jectionable form  of  smoking.  In  fact  expert 
opinion  is  recognizing  that  unless  where,  tlu» 
smoke  is  inhaled  cigarette  smoking  if  not  ex- 
cessive is  probably  harmless.  It  is  hard,  of 

191 


course,  to  kill  a  popular  prejudice,  but  we  have 
to  deal  with  demonstrated  facts  not  prejudices. 
In  the  case  of  inhalation  of  cigarette  smoke  the 
danger  is  from  carbon  monoxide  gas  and  not 

m  nicotine. 

When  the  difference  of  opinion  amongst 
authoritative  investigators  are  discounted  their 
general  results  will  be  found  to  agree  very  well 
with  the  general  facts  observed  by  all  users  of 
tobacco.  What  they  see  is  that  probably 
seventy  per  cent  of  the  adult  male  population 
under  all  conditions  and  circumstances  use  to- 
bacco within  limits  of  moderation.  They  see 
around  them  men  who  have  for  many  years 
used  it,  and  they  do  not  observe  any  particular 
harmful  results  in  the  user  of  tobacco  compared 
with  the  nonuser.  Men  as  a  rule  are  not  more 
nervous,  more  subject  to  heart  troubles  or  age 
troubles  than  women,  who  as  a  sex,  do  not  use 
tobacco.  Smokers  do  not  deny  and  never  have 
denied  that  the  abuse  of  tobacco  is  harmful. 

The  general  view  that  both  scientific  investi- 
gators and  popular  observation  is  able  to  sup- 
port is  well  expressed  by  Clouston,  who  is  a 
world  known  authority  on  nervous  and  mental 
disease.  (See  Hygiene  of  Mind,  3rd  Ed.  Lon- 
don, 1906,  p.  260.) 

"If  its  use  is  restricted  to  full  grown  men,  if 
only  good  tobacco  is  used  not  of  too  great 

192 


strength,  and  if  it  is  not  used  to  excess,  then 
there  are  no  scientific  proofs  that  it  has  any 
injurious  effects,  if  there  is  no  idiosyncracy 

against  it Speaking  generally,  it 

exercises  a  soothing  influence  when  the  nervous 
system  is  in  any  way  irritable.  It  tends  to  calm 
and  continuous  thinking  and  in  many  men  pro- 
motes the  digestion  of  food. 

"Tobacco,  properly  used  may,  in  some  cases, 
undoubtedly  be  made  a  mental  hygienic." 

Mann  (Brit.  Med.  Journal,  1908,  V.  II,  p. 
1673),  expresses  a  similar  opinion  thus :  "Most 
men  if  they  choose  to  smoke  can  do  so  within 
certain  limits  without  injury  to  health.  Some 
men  can  exceed  such  limits  with  apparent  im- 
punity. The  extent  of  the  limitation  must  be 
determined  by  each  man  for  himself." 


193 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS  OF 
TOBACCO 

ITS  DISINFECTING  ACTION.     PROTECTION  AGAINST 

INFECTIOUS    DISEASE.       PSYCHOLOGICAL 

EFFECTS    OF    SMOKING. 


195 


THE  BENEFICIAL  QUALITIES  OF 
TOBACCO 

In  the  previous  chapters  the  possible  harm- 
ful effects  of  using  tobacco  have  been  dealt  with 
at  length.  In  this  chapter  we  shall  deal  shortly 
with  some  positive  beneficial  effects. 

There  is  very  little  doubt  that  tobacco  is  a 
strongly  protective  agent  against  infection 
from  disease.  Its  germicidal  qualities  are  well- 
known  and  recognized.  It  is  now  recognized  by 
medical  writers  that  the  mouth  is  one  of  the 
principal,  if  not  the  principal  channel  of  in- 
fection for  many  infective  diseases.  The  cavi- 
ties of  the  teeth  are  the  breeding  places  of  hosts 
of  pathogenic  bacteria,  of  which  there  are  about 
100  different  varieties  arising  from  decaying 
food  and  other  sources.  These  destructive 
agents,  many  of  them  highly  pathogenic,  easily 
find  their  way  from  the  mouth  through  various 
channels  to  the  inside  of  the  body.  Many  in- 
fective organisms  floating  in  the  air  are  drawn 
into  the  mouth  in  the  act  of  respiration  and  this 
is  a  common  method  of  falling  a  victim  to  con- 
tagion. 

The  effect  of  tobacco  juice  on  the  bacteria  of 
the  human  mouth  was  investigated  by  Dr.  W. 
D.  Fullerton  and  is  reported  by  him  in  the 
Cleveland  Med.  Journal  1912,  page  585. 

197 


In  his  experiments  Fullerton  used  tobacco 
juice  obtained  from  the  human  mouth  by  chew- 
ing plug  tobacco.  He  also  used  a  solution  of 
smoke  obtained  from  a  well  seasoned  pipe. 
These  were  first  thoroughly  sterilized  in  order 
to  obtain  a  pure  natural  mixture  of  tobacco 
and  saliva.  Cultures  of  well-known  species  of 
bacteria  were  made  using  every  laboratory  pre- 
caution so  as  to  obtain  accurate  results. 
Specimens  of  these  bacterial  cultures  were  then 
submitted  to  the  action  of  the  tobacco  juice. 
It  was  found  that  exposure  for  one  hour  killed 
or  rendered  innocuous  15  to  98  per  cent  of  the 
bacteria ;  exposure  for  24  hours  acted  similarly 
on  from  84  to  100%.  Dr.  Fullerton  gives  his 
opinion,  from  his  results,  that  it  seems  that  a 
pipeful  of  tobacco  was  more  toxic  to  bacteria 
than  one  chew;  but  chewing  tends  to  loosen 
retained  food  particles,  foci  of  bacteria,  etc., 
and  much  of  this  is  ejected  from  the  mouth. 
Fullerton's  work  agreed  very  well  with  the  re- 
sults obtained  by  other  workers  in  the  same  line 
of  investigation.  In  Miller's  Micro-organisms 
of  the  Human  Mouth,  p.  246,  it  is  stated  that 
the  organisms  of  the  mouth  lead  only  a  miser- 
able existence  in  a  mixture  of  an  infusion  of 
tobacco,  sugar  and  saliva ;  and  that  the  smoke 
of  the  last  one-third  or  the  first  one-fourth  of  a 
Colorado  Claro  cigar  sterilized  ten  cubic  centi- 

198 


meters  of  beef  extract  solution  which  had  been 
richly  inoculated  with  bacteria  from  decayed 
teeth.  Arnold,  Lancet  (London,  1907)  re- 
ports similar  experiences  with  some  of  the  most 
virulent  types  of  infective  bacteria. 

Both  nicotine  and  its  derivative  pyridine  as 
well  as  the  tarry  oils  resulting  from  tobacco 
distillation  are  strong  and  effective  disinfect- 
ants ;  and  formaldehyde,  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful germicides  known,  is  so  formed.  Trillat, 
Annales  de  VInstitut  Pasteur  (Paris),  Vol.  19, 
p.  722,  shows  that  100  grams  of  pipe  tobacco 
will  yield  .063  grams  and  100  grams  weight  of 
cigar  .118  grams  of  formaldehyde.  Also  that 
a  dilution  of  1/1000  formaldehyde  is  germicidal 
to  all  bacteria  although  it  has  very  little  dele- 
terious effects  on  man. 

**  As  far  as  can  be  ascertained  there  has  not 
been  very  much  investigation  for  the  purpose  of 
demonstrating  the  actual  results  of  clinical  ex- 
perience regarding  the  antiseptic  qualities  of 
tobacco  in  the  case  of  smokers,  but  facts,  so 
far  as  they  have  been  recorded,  bear  out  the 
experiments.  Rideal  Disinfection  and  Preser- 
vation of  Food  (London  and  New  York,  1903) 
states  that  the  investigations  of  Tessarini 
showed  that  tobacco  smoke  passed  over  the  or- 
ganisms of  human  cholera  and  pneumonia  killed 
them  in  from  10  to  30  minutes.  He  also  states 

199 


that  the  Cigar  Manufacturers  Association  of 
Hamburg  reported  that  in  the  cholera  epidemic 
of  1892  in  that  city,  only  8  out  of  5,000  em- 
ployes in  the  cigar  factories  there  were  at- 
tacked by  the  disease  and  that  there  were  only 
4  deaths.  Professor  Wenck,  of  the  Imperial 
Institute  of  Berlin,  has  published  an  account  of 
this  cholera  epidemic  (see  Laucett  francaise, 
Paris,  1912,  p.  1425).  His  conclusions  favor 
the  preservative  action  of  tobacco.  It  was 
clearly  shown  that  slightly  moist  tobacco  was  a 
fatal  germicide  for  the  cholera  bacillus;  all 
microbes  die  in  it  in  24  hours.  The  examination 
of  cigars  made  in  Hamburg  during  the  epidemic 
showed  that  they  were  absolutely  free  from 
bacilli.  Wenck  asserts  also  that  cholera  mic- 
robes die  in  %  hour,  1  hour,  and  2  hours  after 
having  been  placed  in  contact  with  the  smoke 
of  Brazilian,  Sumatran  and  Havana  tobacco. 
The  fumes  of  tobacco  will  besides  kill  in  five 
minutes  the  cholera  microbes  obtained  from 
saliva.  Fullerton  already  quoted  examined  a 
small  number  of  mouths  (74)  in  the  Johns 
Hopkins  Hospital  at  Baltimore.  Of  those  who 
did  not  use  tobacco  in  any  form  a  larger  per- 
centage showed  signs  of  dental  caries  and  decay 
of  an  advanced  stage  than  in  the  case  of  tobacco 
users.  Similarly  in  the  case  of  women  who 
never  used  tobacco ;  and,  although  there  was  a 

200 


much  greater  care  and  cleansing  of  the  teeth, 
yet  the  percentage  of  decay  and  disease  was 
higher  than  in  the  case  of  men  using  tobacco. 
Fullerton  says,  "The  smoking  or  chewing  of 
tobacco  is  decidedly  germicidal.  Chewing,  by 
exercising  the  teeth,  helps  nutrition  and  elimi- 
nates pathological  agencies  both  by  destroying 
them  in  situ  and  by  removing  them  in  the  ex- 
pectoration." Rideal  (already  quoted)  men- 
tions that  Dr.  Burney,  the  senior  medical  officer 
of  Greenwich  Hospital,  London,  asserts  that 
the  tobacco  smoking  inmates  of  that  institution 
enjoyed  comparative  immunity  from  epidemics. 
From  these  opinions  and  examples  it  seems 
quite  clear  that  whatever  portions  of  the  de- 
composition products  of  tobacco  reach  the 
mouth  and  mix  with  the  saliva,  or  propagate 
themselves  in  the  immediate  surroundings  of  the 
smoker,  are  likely  to  have  extremely  good  ef- 
fects. It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  these 
opinions  but  there  is  no  use  laboring  the  argu- 
ment. There  is  a  matter,  however,  it  will  do 
no  harm  to  mention  here.  Today  it  is  being 
gradually  recognized  by  the  medical  profession 
that  the  conditions  which  lead  ultimately  to  gas- 
tric and  intestinal  ulcer  including  appendicitis 
are  entirely  due  to  infection.  At  the  1912  meet- 
ing of  the  British  Medical  Association  this  was 
clearly  manifested  and  some  of  the  leading 

201 


authorities  in  England  pointed  out  the  import- 
ance of  the  mouth  as  a  focus  of  infection  in 
such  diseases.  Now  if  this  is  so,  it  is  at  once 
apparent  how  important  tobacco  as  a  mouth 
disinfectant  and  germicide  becomes ;  and  it  may 
incidentally  throw  some  light  (otherwise  un- 
explained) on  the  fact  constantly  observed  that 
in  persons  under  30  years  old  these  diseases  are 
far  more  common  amongst  women  than  in  the 
case  of  men.  The  use  of  tobacco  is  not  asserted 
as  a  reason,  but  it  may  be. 

With  regard  to  other  beneficial  effects — 
Clouston,  Fullerton  and  Marvin,  state  that  the 
moderate  use  of  tobacco  has  a  beneficial  effect 
on  the  digestive  system  as  in  general  it  causes 
an  increased  flow  of  saliva  and  gastric  juice 
which  helps  in  the  digestion  of  food;  it  also 
stimulates  the  muscles  and  mucous  membrane  of 
the  stomach  and  intestines.  The  sedative  effects 
of  tobacco  on  the  nerves  is  a  preventative  of 
nervous  dyspepsia  and  is  valuable  for  the  pro- 
motion of  good  digestion. 

While  much  has  been  written  on  the  effects 
of  excessive  smoking  on  the  nervous  system  little 
has  been  said  of  the  good  effects  of  moderate 
smoking.  Every  smoker  realizes  that  the  sooth- 
ing effects  of  tobacco  on  the  nerves  is  perhaps 
its  most  valuable  property.  Clouston's  opinion, 
already  quoted  (and  none  could  be  better),  is 

202 


that  "tobacco  exercises  a  soothing  influence 
when  the  nervous  system  is  in  anyway  irritable ; 
it  tends  to  calm  and  continuous  thinking." 
Fullerton  says,  "It  gives  a  composure  and  feel- 
ing of  well-being  which  are  beneficial  to  mind 
and  body."  Of  these  facts  there  can  be  no 
doubt  because  they  are  matters  of  common  daily 
observation  and  experience.  Most  smokers  find 
a  solace  and  quieting  influence  from  their  eve- 
ning smoke  after  the  worries  of  a  troublesome 
day  which  no  other  agent  can  give  them.  The 
effect  produced  may  be  partly  psychological 
but  that  does  not  matter.  Indeed  the  strenu- 
ousness  of  life  in  the  age  in  which  we  live  seems 
to  demand  such  a  help  and  nothing  appears  to 
supply  the  want  so  efficiently,  so  pleasantly, 
and  with  less  harm,  than  a  quiet  smoke.  It  puts 
the  smoker  at  peace  with  himself  and  at  peace 
with  others.  Bush  found  in  his  investigations 
on  the  mental  effects  of  tobacco  on  college  stu- 
dents that  there  was  a  temporary  loss  of  ten 
per  cent  in  mental  efficiency  in  certain  faculties 
of  the  mind.  This  is  probably  true  enough 
though  his  results  are  not  quite  conclusive.  On 
the  other  hand  many  men  find  that  they  can 
think  more  clearly  and  more  consecutively  when 
helped  by  a  smoke.  Indeed  they  smoke  when 

they   have   a   knotty   problem   to   solve.      The 

I 

203 


point  need  not  be  argued;  all  smokers  will 
agree  with  it. 

Judged  from  a  psychological  standpoint  the 
effects  of  tobacco  are  entirely  favorable.  To 
the  sleepless,  the  worried,  to  him  who  is  troubled 
in  mind  or  vexed  in  spirit,  the  pipe  or  cigar  is 
a  never-failing  remedy  to  soothe  and  cheer.  It 
is  the  feeling  of  betterment  which  it  engenders 
and  the  spirit  of  good  will  which  tobacco  creates 
that  are  responsible  for  its  universal  use  by  men 
differing  widely  in  grade  and  condition  of  life 
as  well  as  in  mental  caliber;  it  reaches  the  com- 
mon springs  which  move  humanity ;  its  qualities 
are  those  which  have  made  the  pipe  a  symbol  of 
peace  and  a  bond  of  fellowship  and  union  be- 
tween man  and  man  from  Pole  to  Pole. 

From  a  general  summing  up  of  the  opinions 
which  have  been  quoted  the  question  might 
finally  be  asked,  "Is  tobacco  on  the  whole  harm- 
ful or  beneficial  to  its  users?"  The  answer 
seems  to  be  this:  "Tobacco  to  the  extent  used 
on  the  average  has  some  slight  injurious  ef- 
fects and  some  slight  beneficial  effects  on  the 
physical  system.  It  is  an  excellent  preservative 
agent  against  contagious  and  infectious  disease. 
Mentally  its  effects  are  overwhelmingly  bene- 
ficial." In  every  particular  case  a  man  must 
judge  for  himself,  taking  account  of  his  indi- 

204 


vidual  idiosyncrasies  and  conditions  whether  the 
use  of  tobacco  is  beneficial  to  him  or  otherwise. 

REFERENCES 

Lancet.  London,  1906.  Vol.  I,  p.  984.  The 
germ-destroying  properties  of  tobacco. 

ARNOLD,  M.  B.  On  the  effects  of  the  Exposure  of 
Tobacco  Smoke  on  the  growth  of  pathogenic 
micro-organisms.  Lancet.  London,  1907.  Vol. 
I,  p.  1220. 

MURRAY,  J.  C.  Smoking;  when  injurious,  when 
innocuous,  when  beneficial.  London,  1871. 

LEZARS,  I.  The  use  and  abuse  of  Tobacco.  Phila- 
delphia, 1883. 


205 


CHAPTER  XIX 

MISCELLANEOUS 

REVENUE,  TAXATION,  ETC.,  IN  CONNECTION  WITH 

TOBACCO.     FREE  IMPORTS.     DISEASES  OF 

TOBACCO.     TOBACCO  FLAVORS. 

FORMULAE. 


207 


NOTES 

The  "per  capita"  consumption  of  tobacco 
in  the  U.  S.  has  increased  from  1.6  Ibs.  in  1863 
to  between  5  and  6  Ibs.  at  the  present  time. 


At  the  present  time  the  United  states  collects 
about  70  million  dollars  annually  from  domestic 
taxation  on  manufactured  tobacco ;  and,  in  ad- 
dition, about  25  million  in  import  duties.  The 
actual  total  income  from  tobacco  in  1912  was 
96  million  dollars.  For  the  fiscal  year  ending 
June  30,  1913,  tax  was  paid  on  the  following 
"withdrawn  for  consumption": 

Cigars  weighing  more  than  3  Ibs.  per  thous- 
and, 7,699,037,543. 

Cigars  weighing  less  than  3  Ibs.  per  thousand, 
1,033,778,160. 

Cigarettes  weighing  more  than  3  Ibs.  per 
thousand,  18,194,311. 

Cigarettes  weighing  less  than  3  Ibs.  per 
thousand,  14,276,771,160. 

Snuff,  Ibs.,  33,209,488. 

Tobacco,  chewing  and  smoking,  Ibs.,  401,- 
362,620. 


In  France,  Spain,  Austria,  Italy  and  other 
countries  the  government  has  a  monopoly  over 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  tobacco  products. 

209 


Purchase  of  leaf  in  the  U.  S.  is  made  through 
government  agents. 


The  quantities  of  tobacco  which  may  be  im- 
ported "free  of  duty"  into  European  countries 
is  as  follows: 

Austro-Hungary — 12  cigars,  35  grams  to- 
bacco. 

Belgium — None. 

Bulgaria — 50  cigars,  50  cigarettes,  50  grams 
tobacco. 

Denmark — None. 

Egypt — 25  cigars,  100  cigarettes,  200  grams 
tobacco. 

France — 30  cigars,  300  cigarettes. 

Germany — Enough  for  immediate  use. 

Great  Britain — 12  cigars,  20  cigarettes. 

Holland — None. 

Italy — 6  cigars,  15  cigarettes. 

Norway — 100  cigars. 

Portugal — None. 

Russia — 100  cigars,  100  cigarettes,  100 
grams  tobacco. 

Spain — None. 

Sweden — None. 

Turkey — None. 


In  U.  S.  50  cigars  and  300  cigarettes  may  be 
imported  free. 

210 


Small  variations  in  the  cost  of  manufacture 
(including  the  cost  of  leaf),  which  do  not  ex- 
ceed 10%,  are  usually  borne  by  the  manufac- 
turer, and  do  not  affect  the  price  to  the  con- 
sumer. But  increase  in  taxation,  either  in- 
ternal revenue  or  tariff,  usually  occasions  a 
diminution  in  consumption  as  it  invariably  in- 
creases the  cost. 


THE   DISEASES    OF    TOBACCO    DUE    TO   INSECT 
PESTS,    ETC. 

Tobacco,  from  the  seed  bed  to  the  storage  of 
the  manufactured  products,  is  subject  to  at- 
tack by  insects,  etc.,  and  vigilance  must  at  all 
times  be  exercised  to  keep  it  free  from  such 
harmful  influences. 

Only  a  few  of  the  principal  agencies  attack- 
ing tobacco  will  be  mentioned  here  as  the  sub- 
ject is  of  more  interest  to  the  specialist  than  to 
the  smoker.  The  growing  plant  is  particularly 
subject  to  Cut-worm  disease  and  Horn- worm 
disease.  Cut-worms  are  the  larvae  of  several 
species  of  moths.  They  injure  the  young,  ten- 
der plant  and  feed  on  the  leaves.  Horn-worms 
are  the  larvae  of  the  Sphinx  Moth.  2  or  3  will 
ruin  a  plant  in  one  day. 

Stored  tobacco  is  subject  to  many  diseases. 
Bud  caperpillars,  the  leaf-miner  or  split-worm 

211 


and  the  Tobacco  flea  beetle  are  minute  beetles 
which  attack  it.  Mosaic  disease,  Frog-eye  or 
Leaf-spot  are  probably  bacterial  diseases. 

In  addition,  tobacco,  particularly  during  the 
curing  process,  is  subject  to  pole-burn,  pole- 
sweat,  or  house-burn,  stem-rot,  white-vein,  and 
various  forms  of  mould,  all  these  being  prob- 
ably due  to  bacteria. 

For  additional  information  see: 
U.  S.  DEFT.  OF  AGRICULTURE.    Farmers'  Bulle- 
tin, 120. 

HOWARD,  L.  0.    The  principal  insects  affecting 
the  tobacco  plant.    Washington,  D.  C.,  1900. 
U.    S.    DEPT.    OF    AGRICULTURE.      Bureau    of 
Entomology.     Bulletin  65. 


SPECKLED  OF  SPOTTED  CIGARS 
Many  smokers  of  cigars  have  the  idea  that 
there  is  some  special  virtue  in  a  cigar  that 
shows  specks  or  spots  of  discoloration  in  the 
leaf.  As  a  matter  of  fact  such  spots  have 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  quality  of  the 
tobacco.  The  occurrence  of  such  spots  is  ac- 
counted for  differently.  Some  say  the  spots 
are  due  to  certain  bacteria  which  attack  the 
leaf  either  when  growing  or  fermenting  and 
this  most  probably  is  the  correct  view.  Others 
say  that  the  spots  are  due  to  rain  drops  which, 

212 


sprinkled  on  the  leaves,  act  as  lenses  and  con- 
centrate the  rays  of  the  sun,  thus  causing 
a  burning  of  the  leaf  in  such  spots.  Some 
think  the  spots  are  caused  by  a  worm.  On 
account  of  the  prejudice  of  smokers  for 
speckled  cigars  dealers  have  been  known  to 
produce  this  appearance  in  the  leaf  artificially. 
There  are  different  methods  although  resort  is 
not  often  had  at  the  present  time  to  this  prac- 
tice as  the  belief  in  this  sign  is  no  longer  as 
prevalent  as  formerly.  The  following  are  ex- 
amples of  such  cigar  speckling  preparation, 
the  chief  ingredient  being  some  active  oxidiz- 
ing agent: 

Cigar  speckling  fluid: 

(Method  1.)  Powdered  Ammonium  Carbon- 
ate and  a  concentrated  solution  of  (H2  O2). 

Dissolve  one  part  of  the  Ammonium  Carbon- 
ate in  25  parts  of  the  (H2  O2).  Touch  the 
cigar  with  this  in  spots  with  the  end  of  a 
pointed  stick.  This  gives  the  appearance  of 
speckled  Sumatran  leaf. 

(Method  2.)  The  following  method  is  said 
to  be  used  by  a  large  firm : 

Sodium  Carbonate — 3  parts. 

Chlorinated  Lime — 1  part. 

Mot  Water— 8  parts. 

Dissolve  the  washing  soda  in  the  hot  water, 
add  the  chlorinated  lime,  and  heat  to  the  boiling 

213 


point.  When  cool  decant  and  cork  tightly. 
This  is  sprinkled  over  the  tobacco. — From 
American  Druggest,  Vol.  33,  p.  328. 

Specks  are  sometimes  caused  by  fluids  used 
to  destroy  insects  which  attack  the  cigar  after 
manufacture. 


TOBACCO  FLAVORING  ESSENCES 

In  the  chapter  treating  of  the  manufacture 
of  smoking  and  chewing  tobacco  it  was  stated 
that  the  tobacco  leaf  was  often  treated  by  cer- 
tain flavoring  essences.  The  following  are 
quoted  as  examples  of  such  essences : 

Cascarilla  Bark — 1  ounce. 

Fluid  Extract  Valerian — 1  ounce. 

Tonka  Bean — 2  drams. 

English  Rum — 3  ounces. 

— From  Pharmaceutical  Era,  V.  21,  1899, 
p.  252. 

The  following  essences  are  said  to  be  used  in 
France  and  Germany: 

(1)  For  every  1,000  kilos,  of  tobacco  take 
4  kilos,  of  purified  potash;  5  kilos,  table  salt; 
10  kilos,  canella  water;  10  kilos,  rose  water;  5 
kilos,  melilotte  water;  2.8  grams  tonka  bean; 
pulverized.     Color  the  whole  with  4  grams  Eng- 
lish red.     Add  when  the  tobacco  is  cut  up. 

(2)  12  kilos,  soda;  4  kilos,  salts  of  tartar; 
10  kilos,  canella  water;  10  kilos,  rose  water;  5 

214, 


kilos,  melilotte  water;  2.8  grams  tonka  bean; 
4  kilos,  simple  syrup ;  5  kilos.  French  brandy ; 
6  kilos,  red  sandal  wood. — From  Pharmaceuti- 
cal Era,  V.  24,  p.  67. 


CIGAR  FLAVORS 

Although  the  best  cigars  are  made  from  the 
natural  leaf  and  depend  solely  on  its  flavor  and 
aroma,  in  the  inferior  article  manufacturers 
sometimes  resort  to  flavoring  fluids. 

The  following  examples  of  cigar  flavoring 
fluid  formulae  are  taken  from  the  Pharmaceuti- 
cal Era,  V.  24,  p.  455 : 

Formula  1. 

Extr.  Vanilla— %  gal. 

Alcohol  and  Jamaica  Rum, — each,  %  gal. 

Tinct.  Valerian — 8  ounces. 

Carraway  Seed — 2  ounces. 

English  Valerian  Root — 2  ounces. 

Bitter  Orange  Peel — 2  ounces. 

Tonka  Bean — 4  drams. 

Myrrh — 16   ounces. 

Formula  8. 

Valerianic  Acid — 3  drams. 
Acetic  Ether — 40  minims. 
Butyric  Ether — 10  minims. 
Alcohol — 4  pints. 

215 


Formula  3. 

Fluid  Extr.  Valerian — 1  ounce. 
Tinct.  Tonka  Bean — 8  ounces. 
Alcohol — enough  to  make  16  ounces. 


FORMULA  TO  IMPROVE  THE  BURNING  QUALITIES 
OF  TOBACCO 

2  Ibs.  of  Saltpeter. 

Half  gallon  of  Alcohol  (100%  proof). 

1  gallon  Port  Wine. 

9  gallons  Lukewarm  Water. 

Mix  these  ingredients  thoroughly  together, 
and  add  to  every  100  Ibs.  weight  of  tobacco. 


OVERCOMING  DESIRE  FOR  TOBACCO 
(From  The  American  Druggist,  V.  51,  1908.) 
Kalometzer  (Bulletin  Medical,  1907)  states 
that  rinsing  mouth  with  solution  of  silver 
nitrate  (%  of  1%  strength)  will  overcome  the 
desire. 


PREVENTING  INJURIOUS  ACTION  OF  NICOTINE 

A  process  for  the  treatment  of  tobacco 
leaves  preventing  in  a  way  injurious  action  of 
nicotine  and  of  acrid  empyreumatic  acid  pro- 
ducts, was  devised  some  years  ago  by  Professor 
Gerold  of  Halle.  His  process  is  thus  described : 
He  employs  for  8  kilograms  of  tobacco  leaves 

216 


containing  the  usual  percentage  of  nicotine  a 
decoction  prepared  by  boiling  15  grams  of 
tannic  acid  with  1%  kilograms  of  water  until 
the  weight  is  reduced  to  one  kilogram ;  then  30 
grams  of  the  essential  oil  of  origanum  vulgare 
are  added,  after  which  the  decoction  is  im- 
mediately removed  from  the  fire.  Having  stood 
for  some  minutes  the  mixture  is  filtered  and 
allowed  to  cool  to  about  16°  C.,  when  the 
preparation  is  ready  to  be  spread  over  the 
previously  weighed  tobacco.  When  the  absorp- 
tion of  this  mixture  by  the  tobacco  leaves  is 
completed,  they  are  subjected  to  slight  pres- 
sure and  moderate  heat,  after  which  they  are 
ready  for  the  manufacture  of  the  various  to- 
bacco products. 


Tannic  acid  is  a  well-known  antidote  for 
nicotine  poisoning,  and  it  is  claimed  for  Gerold's 
process  that  while  the  undistilled  nicotine  is 
neutralized  in  its  toxic  qualities  only  by  the 
tannic  acid,  that  this  does  not  influence  at  all 
its  peculiar  odor  nor  most  of  its  other  charac- 
teristics.— From  the  Pharmaceutical  Era,  July 
27,  1899,  p.  144. 


Havana  cigars  are  generally  better  if  smoked 
fresh;  domestic  cigars  are  better  if  allowed  to 
age  in  the  box  several  months  before  using. 

217 


Remember  that  the  phosphorus  or  sulphur 
of  a  match  may  spoil  the  flavor  of  a  fine  cigar. 
Be  careful  when  you  are  lighting  it  to  use  only 
the  edge  of  the  match  flame. 


If  the  total  number  of  cigars  smoked  an- 
nually in  the  United  States  were  placed  end  to 
end  they  would  encircle  the  whole  world  more 
than  twenty  times. 


218 


INDEX 

Air  Curing  of  Leaf 66 

Amber 162 

American   Production   of   Tobacco   Other   Than   in 

U.    S 35 

Analysis  of  Tobacco 55 

Asia,  Production  of  Tobacco  in 31 

Bacterial  Diseases,  Effects  of  Tobacco  on     ...  197 

Blends  of  Tobacco,  How  Made 78 

Briar  Root 158 

Cancer  and  Tobacco 180 

Chemical   Constituents   of   Tobacco 55 

Chewing  Tobaccos 128 

Cigar  and  Cigarette  Holders,  Value  of     ....  191 

Cigar  Business  in  U.  S 96 

Cigar  Flavors 215 

Cigar  Leaf  Tobacco  Grown  in  U.  S 119 

Cigarette  Paper 139 

Cigarette  Smoking,  Criticisms  of 140 

Cigarettes,  American 138 

Cigarettes,  Kinds  of 134 

Cigarettes,  Nicotine  in  Smoke  of 187 

Cigarettes,  Statistics 133 

Cigarettes,  Turkish 135 

Cigarettes,  Turkish,  Manufactured  in  the  U.  S.     .  137 

Cigars,  Classification  of 104 

Cigars,  Composition  of 113 

Cigars,  Desirable  Qualities  of 113 

Cigars,  Hand-made     . 101 

Cigars,   History 95 

Cigars,  Imported  Kinds,  in  U.  S 114 

Cigars,  Machine-made 103 

Cigars,  Manufactured  in  U.  S 117 

Cigars,  Speckles  or  Spots  on 212 

219 


Cigars,  Statistics  of  Production  and  Consumption  in 

U.  S 96 

Cigars,  Various  Terms  Regarding 107 

Coloring  Meerschaum  Pipes 169 

Consumption  of  Tobacco  in  U.  S 92 

Cuban   Cigar  Leaf 118 

Cuban  Tobacco 35 

Curing  of  Tobacco  Leaf 63 

Digestive  System  and  Use  of  Tobacco      ....  202 

Diseases  of  Tobacco  Leaf 211 

Disinfecting  Action  of  Tobacco 199 

East  Indian  Tobacco 38 

Europe,  Production  of  Tobacco 32 

Exportation  of  Tobacco  from  U.  S 91 

Eyes  and  Use  of  Tobacco 189 

Fermentation  of  Tobacco,  Action  of  Microbes     .      .  81 

Fermentation  of  Tobacco,  Chemistry 80 

Fermentation  of  Tobacco  Leaf 79 

Flavoring  Essences 214 

Flue  Curing  of  Leaf 65 

Hand-made  Cigars 101 

Havana   Cigars 115 

Holders  for  Cigars  and  Cigarettes,  Value  of      .      .  191 

Infection,  Value  of  Tobacco  Smoking  Against    .      .  197 

Insects  Affecting  Tobacco  Leaf 211 

Life  Insurance  and  Tobacco 188 

Machine-made    Cigars 103 

Manufactured  Products  of  Tobacco  in  U.  S.,  Sta- 
tistics        89 

Meerschaum 155 

Microbes,  Action  in  Fermentation  of  Tobacco    .      .  81 

Mind,  Effects  of  Tobacco  Smoking 202 

Mouthpiece  of  Pipes,  Importance 161 

Nerves,  Effect  of  Tobacco  Smoking  on     ....  202 

Nicotine 57 

220 


Nicotine,  Amount  in  Tobacco  Smoke    .      .     .     .     .  183 

Nicotine  Contents  of  Tobaccos 185 

Nicotine  Effects  on  Human  System 182 

Open  Fire  Method  of  Curing  Leaf 65 

Packing  of  Tobacco  Leaf  for  Market 69 

Perique  Tobacco 50,  125 

Philippine  Cigars 117 

Pipe  Smoking  Tobaccos,  Kinds  of 124 

Pipe  Smoking  Tobacco,  Qualities  of 123 

Pipe  Stem,  Importance    .      .     .      .     .     .     .     .     .  161 

Pipes,  Briar  Root,  Making  of 159 

Pipes,  Care  of 167 

Pipes,  History  of 151 

Pipes,  Importation  of,  Into  U.  S 166 

Pipes,  Materials  Used  in  Making 154 

Pipes,  Meerschaum,  Coloring 169 

Pipes,  Meerschaum,  Making  of 156 

Pipes,  Special  Kinds  of 164 

Plug  Tobacco  for  Chewing 128 

Potash,  Importance  in  Tobacco 59 

Psychological  Effects  of  Tobacco  Smoking     ...  202 

Rehandling  of  Tobacco  Leaf 77 

Revenue  Derived  from  Tobacco 209 

Shade  Grown  Tobacco 25 

Smoke,  Tobacco,  Nicotine  in 187 

Snuff,  Manufacture,  Statistics  and  Kinds     .     .      .  145 

Soils,  Influence  on  Quality  of  Tobacco      ....  22 
Suchsland's  Experiments  With  Bacteria  on  Tobacco 

Leaf 81 

Sumatran  Cigar  Leaf 118 

Teeth  and  Tobacco 201 

Terms  Used  in  Cigar  Trade 107 

Throat  Diseases  Due  to  Use  of  Tobacco    ....  179 

Tobacco,  Analysis  of  Contents 55 

Tobacco,  Botanical  Information 15 

221 


Tobacco,  Burning  Qualities  of 216 

Tobacco,  Culture 21 

Tobacco,  Denicotianized 216 

Tobacco,  Effects  of  on  Body 173 

Tobacco,  Exportation  from  U.  S 91 

Tobacco,  Flavoring  Essences 214 

Tobacco,  Free  Importation  in  Different  Countries    .  210 

Tobacco,  History 18 

Tobacco  Leaf,  Prices  of 71 

Tobacco  Manufacturing  Industry,  Capital,  etc.  .     .  89 

Tobacco  Plant,  Varieties 16 

Treatment  of  Leaf  Before  Manufacture    ....  82 

Turkish  Tobacco 34 

United  States,  Production  of  Tobacco      ....  41 

Varieties,  Botanical  of,  Tobacco  Plant     ....  16 

Varieties  of  American  Grown  Tobacco  Leaf  .        44,  46 

Vulcanite,  as  Pipe  Stem  Material 163 

Warehouse  System  of  Sale  of  Tobacco  Leaf      .      .  70 

Water  Pipes 165 

Yellowing  of  Tobacco  Leaf 27 


222 


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